Holding Ban's Hand
by PonderRose
Summary: I love Ban but I think his relationship with Elaine was too "instanta love". This story is an expansion of their time together with a new character to replace Elaine (I think she is kind of boring). Enjoy! Trigger Warning! Mention of attempted suicide. BanxOC
1. Punishment

Ban got tired of pain, so he decided to give love a try:

"Look, you guys." "No doubt about it. It's the Necropolis," King noted quietly to himself from behind a large emerald. "Memories belonging to one of them… opened the pathway." "Do you think it was my wish to meet my mother that opened it up and carried us here?" Elizabeth asked. "Maybe it was my powerful longing for all the scraps I missed in my long and colorful life." "My mind was totally blank," the captain's finger scratched in his ear. "Mine too," Diane added. Ban just stared off into the distance, not moving until something caught his eye.

 _All my life_ …. His eyes grew as his heart started racing. _My long, pointless life_ …. Nearby, standing on one of the emeralds was a girl; a woman. She had long-flowing light pink hair reaching down to her feet. Wearing a dress made entirely of flowers, she stood there with her back facing Ban. Her head tilted a little, just enough for Ban to see the corner of her lips. _There's always been something; something I knew could never be mine_. Ban's legs took on a life of their own. Everyone blinked alarmed as he dashed off towards her. _Something beautiful; something perfect_ ….. "Hold it!" King zoomed after him. "King?" "But how did he get here?" "What the hell's going on?!" "Captain, what are we supposed to do?" "I guess we'll run after him for now."

 _Something that could never be mine_ …. Ban ran faster. _Still, I'm always searching; always looking for your figure to appear somewhere, anywhere_. "You're not gonna escape!" King announced to Ban. _Everywhere I go, even though I know you won't be there_. "I won't let you get away from me again!" Ban cried. _One more time…. Oh god, what I wouldn't give for just one more time. I don't care if you are dead._

 _I will never stop searching for your smile._

One Hundred Years Earlier, in Southern Malaga (modern-day Spain)-

Ban's P.O.V.-

I've had a shitty life so far. Nothing's ever really worked out for me; I don't know why. So, when I was old enough and had the means, I decided what the hell? I'd go try and find this legendary Fountain of Youth. I'd never been down south before and thought it might be fun. I was leaving the land of the dragons to enter the realm of the fairy folk. They occupied the jungles and tropical rainforests, growing much larger than their Britannian cousins. Ah well, I wasn't afraid of fairies. They left humans alone for the most part; how bad could their societies be? I'm sure I'll get along just fine. After all, what's the worst that could happen?

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

I was brought back to my mother's kingdom in chains. Even though I was a princess- the only princess of the Malagean fairies- they treated me like a prisoner. And I understood why. We had taken a boat from Crete to the capital; grandfather had his servants personally "escort" me back home. They kept me in chains, but they were very nice chains; allowing me to still drink my tea when I pleased. At least I still had that.

The boat docked and there was already a crowd outside. Among them was my brother, King Harlequin. He was beyond horrified to see me in cuffs. "Sis!" He rushed over, pushing his way through the crowds. "You're alive!" King didn't hesitate to wrap his arms tightly around me. "I was so scared!" "I'm sorry, brother," I said, nuzzling him back. "I didn't mean to worry you like this." "Um, excuse me, your highness?" One of the guards tapped King on the shoulder. "Forgive me but we have to get to the palace." "Alright, but only after you get those things off my sister!" "I'm sorry, sire, but I can only remove them if the king commands."

King scoffed and turned his head sideways. "Fine! Let's just get home then." My brother stayed glued to my side from then on; he held my confined hand the whole journey home. Our grandfather lived in this luxurious castle overseeing the city and out onto the horizon. It had countless servants, not to mention jewels. He was the largest landowner in the kingdom with hundreds of vassals with their own fiefs. And it would all be my brother's someday. Meanwhile, I was to be married off to some foreign lord with his own land and castle, with no regard to how I feel about the matter. That's exactly why I ran away seven years ago.

The carriage pulled by wild boars stopped and we emerged on royal soil. I was led straight to the courtroom for my hearing; what a welcome home party. Needless to say, everyone was both elated and alarmed to see me, especially like this. The last time I was at the palace, I was still a child. Now I was a woman; a young woman. Not to sound vain but I was quite stunning, being royalty and all. Plus the human blood in me enhanced my ahem, figures. Most fairies were flat-chested while… I was not. My eyes were also blue; another human figure. I caught the attention of all we passed, which was to be expected. This was my trial, after all.

Grandfather was presiding the hearing. It was the first time we'd saw each other, and he did not look happy. From the moment he entered the room, he glared at me from behind the bench. Everyone rose then sat and court was officially in session. "Princess Sinensis!" The prosecutor began. "You are charged with leaving the kingdom without permission, being educated by a human, and drinking three bouts of hemlock." This last one got the audience in a stir; I noticed King even give a little shudder. "How do you plead?" "Guilty?" I shrugged. "It's all true."

"Sinensis!" King gasped in disbelief. "How could you drink three cups of hemlock? That's lethal." "I know…." I gazed down at him, my eyes full of sadness. "Do you mind telling the court why you did so, your grace?" The prosecutor's arms crossed. "Don't play with me," I shot grandfather an irritated look. "You know why." "Because of that "master" of yours? You mean to say that you tried to kill yourself after they killed Socrates?" The prosecutor asked in a condescending tone, sounding affronted. "He's a human!" "He was my teacher!" I shot back. You do not talk to me about Socrates; I don't care who you were, that was off limits.

Grandfather frowned, clearly unamused. "You grieved so much over a man's life?" He spoke to me for the first time. "He wasn't just any man," I countered viciously. "He was my master." "He's mortal." "He raised me for seven years! It's thanks to him that I can read and write; you didn't teach me mathematics or natural science. You didn't teach me anything!" "You can read? Human languages?" King asked me surprised. "What's the point in educating you? You're a girl, and what's more, you're a king's future wife. That's all you need to know." "You're wrong," I growled. "You forget, I'm half-human. I wanted to learn about my people." "We are your people." "My father's mortal!" "Enough!"

Everyone, including me, sat down as Grandfather suddenly stood up, only to glare me down harder. "Hear me, child. You are my granddaughter; you belong to me. You escaped for seven years; you had your time. But now you will give me what is owed; you will do what you were born for." "I'm not some broodmare!" "I say you are! But if you're so insistent on keeping your freedom, I will give you a choice, granddaughter. You will either marry who provides the biggest dowry to me, or you will spend the rest of your life guarding the Fountain of Youth. That is your punishment." "So," I growled, glaring red-hot daggers at the old monarch. He hated me; I knew he saw me only as something to use, a pawn in his game.

"You're either going to sell me or keep me as a slave?" "Sister!" King was scandalized by my audacity. But Grandfather's eyes just sharpened. "That's correct, granddaughter." No one said anything after this, just kept glancing between my grandfather and me. The silence gave me time to mull over my options; my two options. Which was worse? Guarding a cup in a forest alone forever or marrying some tyrant only to bear his children through force? Put that way, definitely the former. Everyone held their breath as I took in a deep, deep breath. My eyes gently shut. "I will…. guard the Fountain of Youth."

"Fine, it's done. You will be brought to the Forest of Heavenly Rains where you spend the rest of your days. From this moment, I strip you of all personal freedom. You will live and die in those trees, Camellia Sinensis; I will make sure of it." "This is my punishment for running away and trying to kill myself after my beloved mentor was mercilessly executed?" A moment of silence in the courtroom. "Yes; yes, it is. No one disobeys me, not even you."


	2. Brighter

Ban's P.O.V.-

The south was nothing like I was expecting. Hot, humid, with lots of green everywhere. The people were colder, not that I cared. And the fairy folk segregated themselves from humans; much more so than up north. But I didn't mind any of that. I was here on a mission; to find the Fountain of Youth.

There was only one problem…. I had no idea where it was, and I doubt any of the fairies would tell me if I asked. With no clue where to even start, I made my way over to a tea house as there were no taverns in sight. No taverns; what kind of place was this? Just a bunch of tea houses. Granted, they were all filled with patrons but still; these people didn't know what they were missing. But I was feeling wary and could use a cup of tea about now. I found an out-of-the-way little hole in the wall where I could sit without sticking out.

The bartender, or their version of a bar tender, was a grizzly-looking man. He had stubble on his chin and a scar on his left cheek. He eyed me from the moment I reached the counter, while still polishing a clear cup. "What you havin', stranger?" "Uh, black tea, I guess?" I didn't really know much about tea. But I must have said something right since he nodded his head and started to get to work. He pointed to a table in the corner away from the light. "Sit there. I'll bring you your order when its ready." "Thank you!" With a wave, I went to sit down. This place wasn't too shabby, if a little dark. Some guys were talking and gossiping amongst themselves, not paying any attention to me. I usually don't listen to gossip; it doesn't interest me but there nothing else to do. So I just casually listened in, not really expecting to hear anything substantial.

"… I'm telling you the truth! I saw her; the other night…." "Get lost! She hasn't been in Malaga in seven years. Rumor has it she ran off to Athens to train under Socrates." "Socrates? That man they just executed by hemlock?" "They killed him? Huh, well that would explain why the princess is back here." Princess? My eyebrow quirked up. Were they talking about the fairy princess? There's a fairy princess? Well what do you know….

"She is back! I saw her outside her bedroom window. If you walk along the beach after dark, you'll see her. And you should! You have no idea, she's breath-taking." I wonder if we'd have the same opinion on that, I thought scratching my cheek. "But what if the king catches us? You know what the fairies do to trespassers." They do what now? "Just stay by the water," his fat hand waved in the air. "They won't see you." Well now…. It was about then that the gruff bartender brought my tea pot, full to the brim, over. "Thanks," I reached out for the cup. I had no interest in women before and I didn't think that was about to change any time soon. But… why not? A cheeky grin rolled over my lips. Let's see if this princess is the great beauty they say.

I waited until late that night; late enough that it was dark out but not too late that she'd be in bed. Tossing off my shoes, I scrolled barefoot in the sea's small waves. It was my first time putting my feet in the ocean; something I never thought I'd do before. The beach was quiet with not a soul in sight. This gave for a peaceful atmosphere; something I also wasn't used to. It was actually really nice, just walking along the sand with the water gently kissing my feet. Maybe… this was one of those small things I was told to enjoy in my youth. Just maybe…

I had almost forgotten why I had come here after walking like this for half an hour or so. It was so quiet, with nothing but the sounds of the waves and wind blowing through the palm trees. But eventually, when the castle came into view, I gazed up to the towering figure. It was dark, with only a few rooms lit here and there. I wasn't sure which one was the princess's, so I quickly scanned over the whole structure. Nothing, or at least that's what I thought. My heart skipped a beat as someone emerged onto the grey stone balcony in the high tower. It took me a second to realize that I was looking at a woman, not a soldier as I initially feared. The dark didn't help things, but I was able to make out roughly what she looked like.

From what I could tell, she was gorgeous. Long light pink hair and shimmering blue eyes. I didn't know if she was the princess and at that moment, I didn't care. It was seeing a heavenly being high above… I'd heard of love at first sight and I doubt that this was it but… something about her. From the moment I saw her, there was something that caught my attention. She had this sad, almost melancholic air about her; a sense of tragedy. And yet, so much spirit. She was complicated, in a good way. I knew that just by looking at her for a minute or so. There was so much personality in her face, the way she moved…. Deep yet reachable; I don't think she was untouchable. I was she was hurt, to be honest. Suffering…..

A piece of me in that instance hoped she would glance down at me. But then what would I do? What would she think? Wait, why should I care about that? She's just a girl; a really, really pretty girl. Still…. I couldn't deny there was something enchanting in her character. Maybe it was the fairy blood, but I bet it was her personality; who she was that made her look that way. She was a beauty…. a beauty too rich, too pure…. And that's when I wondered. Had I ever seen true beauty before this moment? Huh, you know… I couldn't think of an example. I'd seen a lot in my time but nothing, nothing like her….. ok maybe this was that "true love" nonsense everyone talks about. But what good was that? I didn't want her; I wanted the Fountain of Youth. And it's not like she even knew I was alive.

Every fiber, every cell of my being froze as her eyes made their way down to me. "Oh crap!" I actually uttered out loud, too alarmed to notice the defensive position I was now in. She looked at me, confused for a second. Then her lips parted a little as we just stared at each other for a moment; a long moment. I think she was studying me as much as I was previously doing to her. She didn't smile, nor did I; we simply gawked.

I flinched again when she perked up at the voice coming from behind her. I regrettably didn't hear what name they called her or what they said. "Coming!" She shouted back before giving me one last look. I didn't move; my body wouldn't let me. I stayed there with my hands buried in my pockets until she had gone back inside. For the longest time, I remained that way, standing on the sand with the water coming up to caress the back of my feet. I couldn't say why I did that; maybe a part of me was hoping that she'd come back out. But she didn't. Still, I was unable to make myself leave right away. I don't think this feeling that overcame me was happiness or love…. but it was positive, something good. I felt something which could be considered good, after so long…

I don't know where this feeling came from, but it was there. Oh boy was it there. I felt soft and fluttery, yet calm and collective. Hot yet cool….. So many conflicting emotions, all of them encouraging. There was nothing bad; nothing bad came from that brief, brief interaction. It was the first time I could remember something good happening to me with zero bad or negative involved. Everything about her; her eyes, her hair, her lips…. her history. I didn't know a thing about her and yet, I knew…. Just one look and I knew. She's the first person I'd ever seen like that before. And it was beautiful…. She was beautiful. Because of her, because she looked at me, my night was a little better; a little brighter.


	3. Pain

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

Laying on my bed with my hair all sprawled out behind me, I stared up at the ceiling. A series of coughs erupted from my throat, causing me to hack and grasp at my chest. "Does it hurt?" King, who was floating in room, asked. "A little," I wheezed. His head gave a little angry shake.

"Three bouts of hemlock. Are you out of your mind?!" "….. I was hoping to be," I gently shut my eyes. "Hemlock is poisonous to mortals. Is that why you took three doses? Because you knew your fairy blood would protect you from one cup?" No reply. "Sister," King's eyes lowered softly onto me. "Did you really want to follow Socrates that badly? Is that what he would have wanted?" I took my time to answer; a minute or so. My eyes reopened so to stare up at the pale white ceiling. "He wanted…. to show me a world where I could be an equal. If I couldn't be an equal as a fairy, then maybe I could as a human," I drew in a deep breath. "His death… was the most unfair thing imaginable; even more unfair than the way this court treated me. Equal or not, if this world can execute an innocent, gentle, wise man like him, then I want no part of it."

A comfortable silence fell over us as my brother simply watched me with sincere, tender eyes. "You loved him so much….." "So, so much," my eyes closed again in sheer agony. "He was the first one to see me as a person. I was a person before a girl to him…" "No, he wasn't," King asserted. Curious, I moved my head in such a way to look up at him. His expression was severe but kind. "I saw you first; I loved you first. You were an equal to me, sister." "Thank you, King," a soft smile bloomed across my lips, which he mirrored. "I really missed you, Sencha. I thought about you every day; worried about you every day….." "I missed you too, brother. I didn't mean to worry you; I was actually very happy with Socrates." His head gave a little shake.

"Seven years….. I can't believe it. You were in Athens for seven years." "Not just Athens; we traveled all, him and his students." "So… have you been outside of Malaga then?" I nodded. "Just to the Middle Kingdom; I haven't been up north or to Mercia yet, and there's no way I'm going east." King chuckled. "God…. you are smart; you're smarter than me." "It's not your fault, brother. You were groomed to be king; I wanted to be an academic. That was… my future goal," my gaze wandered down sadly. "Sister…" "And now, I'll spend the rest of my life in a forest, guarding a potion I do not care about." "You'll like the forest! It's very pretty."

I didn't respond right away, just returning my gaze back up to the familiar, boring ceiling. "Brother…." Hesitation. "Yes?" A very brief quiet. "I'm sick, and I'm not going to get better." King didn't say anything for a long time, I could feel his wide eyes glued on me. When he didn't reply after a while, I decided to break the silence. "The hemlock didn't kill me right away but… it will someday. Slowly…. slowly…" "I'll fight it." "King…" "I will! I promise, I will do everything in my power to keep you alive." "That's not what I want, brother. Just… just let me go, peacefully. I want…. I want to be with him again."

"You can't just give up on life like that!" King's shouts echoed through the room. "I chose to drink the hemlock, King. I did this to myself." "No, no… you can't do this; you can't let yourself just die. You have to try." "Brother…." "Please, sister! There has to be something keeping you alive; there has to be something you want." "It's ok, brother. I won't try to commit suicide again," I sat up so to look him in the eye. "I will go and guard the Fountain of Youth; until the hemlock stops my heart, I will do as grandfather orders…. until I die."

Tears swelled up in the corner of King's eyes. He moved closer to gently press his forehead against mine; we both shut our eyes, soaking in the warmth of the other. He let out a tiny laugh, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Sister….. You'd grown so beautiful, I hardly recognized you when I first saw you." "You've grown too, King. But you look younger than me now," I chuckled softly, lifting my hand up to rub the back of his head with the upmost tenderness. "Please… please, live." "I will," I whispered. "I will, until nature takes me; I will stay." "I know you will never love another….." "No," my eyes winced a little. "Not after him; I can't… I can't suffer like that again; I won't." "I know…." Then my brother gently pulled his head back so to look me in the eye; his hand was still on my shoulder. "Sister…" "Brother." He then leaned in to whisper into my ear: "drink the potion when the time comes."

Because I was still a prisoner of the royal court and stripped of all my personal freedoms, I wasn't allowed to eat with my family. That didn't bother me in the slightest; I rather eat in a cell than with Grandfather. But I wasn't kept in a cell. They gave me my old bedroom back, complete with a grey stone balcony facing out to the sea. I would often sit there watching the water for hours on end. The ocean looked different here than back in Athens. In our later years, Socrates and I would walk along the pier together. He would talk endlessly about travel and natural history of Athens's navy and sea trade; I could and did listen to him for hours at a time. Being almost thirty years older than me, he was the prefect teacher; he was also my guardian and adoptive father in a sense. Everything about him was wonderful, from the way he dressed to the way he would go off on tangents all the time. He wasn't just my father-figure; he was my friend. I didn't just love him, I worshiped him; he knew so much…. He was the person I wanted myself to be someday.

But Socrates committed the unforgivable crime of being mortal, and that was something the fairy kingdom could not overlook. Despite me being half-human on my father's side, I belonged to my grandfather and the fairy realm. And he was not about to share me with the human world. That would give me too much autonomy; Grandfather was no Socrates. From the moment I was sentenced to guard the Fountain of Youth, I was confined to my room, with my balcony as the only window to the outside world. I was gazing out of it when there was a knock on my door.

It opened to reveal a footman carrying a letter on a silver tray. "For you, your grace." "Thank you," I came over to fetch it. He immediately shut and locked the door, leaving me alone to read it. To my shock, it was a royal letter from the neighbouring fairy kingdom. It was penned by his highness, Prince Rido. Prince Rido? That man who asked for my hand in marriage when I was six years old? He's nearly three times my age and although he was handsome- in a sense- he is known for his vicious streak. It read: [My darling Sinensis, I am overjoyed to hear news of your return to Malaga. My heart shattered when I heard of your disappearance; to learn that you are alive and well is the greatest relief and pleasure. I wish you to get all the rest necessary before my visit next month, so you are healthy and strong. Forgive me for being forward; I realize that you just survived a long journey after seven years abroad. But I must be plain with you, my dearest. Now that you are of age, I am obligated to remind you of the engagement your grandfather, the king, arranged. This matter is of the upmost political importance, and while I do harbour the most tender affections for you, I remind you that friendships between the Middle Kingdom and Malaga must be cemented by marriage…]

Stopping there, I crumpled up the letter in my hands and walked out onto the balcony. Marriage….. I haven't been back three days and already foreign princes are writing to me about such a thing. It disgusted me so much that I actually tore up the paper, though I knew that it wouldn't do any good. No doubt Grandfather and all his cronies had read it before me; those snakes. My hand opened, exposing the paper scraps in the night wind; it took them down towards the beach. When I looked to see where they went, my heart skipped a beat.

The same man from the previous night was standing there. He was staring up at me with his hands buried into his pocket. Him! My eyes grew. What is he doing down there again? He looked at me with the same expression, though I'm sure mine was similar too. We just… watched at one another like before. It was… a weird experience, at least on my part. He looked happy to see me and in some odd way, I was glad to see him too. He was my exact opposite; while I was kept in this gilded cage, he looked like he had all the freedom in the world. He could go where he wanted and get what he pleased…. Something I could only dream about.

And yet, there was something similar; something familiar in his red eyes. Pain… they had seen suffering before; they had suffered. He had suffered, like me… I could tell by the knowing shimmer in those wide eyes of his. Pain was there… but so was curiosity. He wasn't like me in that way; the fire of life still burned inside him where mine was slowly fading. It's not that I wanted to die anymore; it had been a year since I drank the hemlock. But I wasn't attached to life, not in any way. He looked completely opposite, like he was searching for something. He still had purpose, a reason to go on. I could see that….. just by looking at him, I knew.

We stayed like that for longer than last night, just staring at each other in the moon light. His eyes were deep and soulful; I don't think he was trying to hide the pain from me. I certainly wasn't trying to hide anything from him. I just got a letter "reminding" me of a prior engagement, which I did not consent to; my pain was fresh and potent. But still, I couldn't help but mirror his soft grin. He sent me an unconscious grin; I don't think he knew he was smiling. And I didn't know either. We were both grinning without consciousness….. an unconscious reaction to each other.


	4. Serenade

Ban's P.O.V.-

Damn! I've been here for almost three days and no word on the Fountain of Youth's whereabouts. I went to every book store- which were only two but still- and even visited the monastery's library. Nothing. "You're wasting your time, lad," the bartender from same tea house told me that night. "The Fountain of Youth belongs to the king; it's part of his private reserve. No one knows where it is. And besides, even if we did, it would do no good. It's been guarded by the royal family since the beginning of time." "Ugh," I let out a groan after downing my fifth cup of Earl Grey. Man! I wasn't expecting it to be this hard. Like, I didn't think it would be easy, but I literally had nowhere to go from here; no leads.

Glancing out the window, I noticed how dark it was out. Now what? My head rested on the table tiredly. Should I leave the city and try somewhere else? Athens probably has something; it's a hub of smart people, someone likely knows something. There's no other reason to stay here. Staring at the city for a moment, I came to a conclusion. I'll leave tomorrow morning; one more night here should be enough. I don't know why but that fairy girl's face flashed in my mind. Where did that come from? I blinked in surprise. Oh yeah…. I guess I'll never see her again after tonight. Why should that bother me? It didn't, I didn't know her. I probably shouldn't even go see her on her balcony; what's the point? There's no point…. No point.

I found myself wandering along the beach barefoot. My hands were buried in my pockets and my head was tilted downwards, allowing me to watch the sand in front of me. I'm not going to see her, I told myself. I'm just taking one last stroll on the beach before I leave tomorrow. Yeah, that's it. I could care less if I see her again; it's not like I'll be disappointed if she isn't there. I only wanted a nice walk before bed… which happened to be in sight of her balcony but that was a side-factor.

The evening was quiet as per usual, but I was surprised to find that I was not the only one out on the beach tonight. Up ahead of me I could see three guys of varying proportions. They were laughing and jostling amongst each other, having a good time. Then one of them pulled out a guitar. I felt a twisted mixture of hilarity and dismay when the one big guy started singing, projecting up towards the balcony. It was clear he was heh, trying to serenade the fairy girl. For the moment I stood back and watched to see what would transpire.

"My lady! I have come to sing of my undying love for you, my sweet!" "Plus you're really hot!" The other shouted. "Shut it! This is supposed to be my turn; you're next!" Oh my god, my eyes rolled. This was the most pathetic thing I'd ever seen. "Now listen to my enchanting melody, my angel!" He was… a really bad singer. While his friends cheered him on, I couldn't stop from cringing. Oh yeah; that was gonna make her swoon. She'll definitely faint once her ears stop bleeding. "You are perfect, my darling girl! Your teeth, your hands, your uh, chest! Wait! I didn't mean to say chest; I mean your… your eyes!" "Keep going, Rodrigo! I bet she's overcome with emotion!" His tone-deaf friend cheered on.

Instead of continuing this assault, the guy was suddenly struck in the head with a flower pot. "Ow! What the….?!" We all looked up to see not only the girl but a much younger looking boy beside her. While she looked slightly amused, he did not. "Look! You captivated her!" One of the moronic trio pointed up at her. He obviously didn't realize that the flying pot was a bad sign. "How dare you embarrass my sister like this!?" The young man yelled down at them. "She's the princess!" She is? My eyes grew. Huh, what do you know? I did see the princess after all. "I know! Your sister's way hot!" Bad move. Another pot came zooming down at his head. I chuckled, and the girl shook her head. Then her eyes moved over to me, widening in surprise. We looked at each other for a long second before her brother pulled her inside. "The nerve of those assholes!" He growled viciously. Her head was about to turn back to me until the balcony door slammed shut.

It began to hit me within seconds that that was the last time I'd see her, the princess. My eyes narrowed onto the balcony thoughtfully. Well, it was good while it lasted. She's beautiful; the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. But I wasn't looking for woman or love; I wanted eternal life. That was my goal. Still…. I knew somewhere deep down inside that I wouldn't see anything like her again. Something that made me feel this way…. just by looking at her. And the way she looked at me, with those pained, deep eyes. There were secrets in her eyes; sad secrets, lovely secrets…. And I couldn't help but hope that the next man who looked into those eyes knew how special they were; how unique…. They were the most precious jewels inside that castle.


	5. Eternal Forest

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

I was standing on my balcony staring out at the ocean when my door opened. "We have to go, your highness," the captain of the guard told me. It was the fourth day; the day I was sentenced to leave the palace and royal city forever. I didn't say anything, just kept watching the endless horizon.

Dressed in a dark cloak with a hood over my head, I was escorted out of the castle. A carriage was already waiting for us, with a footman holding the door open for me. Before entering I peered up at the ballroom's window to see Grandfather standing there. He was frowning and glaring at me like I was the biggest disappointment of his life. "You are dead to me," he eyes announced. "Feeling's mutual," mine fired back. I was then helped into the carriage. The door was shut, and the driver took off, leading me away from the castle and the city. I didn't even look out the window; I didn't want to. I knew I'd never see any of this again; looking would only be a reminder of my condition.

The journey took a total of ten days by carriage. It was a boring ride, with only the men bringing me to talk to. Some played card games with me while others tried to amuse me with stories. But the mood dampened the closer we got to the forest. The Eternal Forest was a rainforest in the middle of Malaga, far away from the coast. Jungle went on for miles, as far as the eye could see. I was informed that I would be the only fairy, or human, in the forest; meaning that I was officially isolated as well as exiled. All my magic would disappear except for what I needed to protect the potion and take care of myself. A spell was also casted on me so that I could not leave the forest unless another royal family member was watching over the Fountain of Youth. And seeing how my brother was next in line for the throne, that was unlikely to happen.

When we arrived, the men helped out of the carriage. It was parked in front of this gigantic ancient tree; the biggest by far in the forest. "The Fountain of Youth is up there," the captain told me. It was an awkward minute after this as I just stared up at my huh, new home. Then I was stripped naked, removing everything I was wearing. It was a custom that the guardian of the potion retained nothing when first arriving in the forest. I stood there stark naked and without luggage in front of everything. We just stared at each other, though they looked more enthusiastically. Then the captain gave me a nod; a sincere jester. "Good luck, your highness."

The soldiers all piled up in the carriage and, with my clothes in hand, took off. I was left there alone, standing naked in the middle of the forest. I used some of my "take care" magic to fashion me a dress made completely of flowers. Then I flew up to the top of the tree to see the Fountain of Youth for the first time. It was a silver and gold goblet with this wear white pinkish liquid constantly streaming out of it. I was half-tempted to throw it off the side of the tree but refrained. This was my life now, I understood as I watched the potion indifferently. To watch over and protect this stupid thing. I know King told me to drink it when the time came but… Ironically, I wanted nothing to do with it. I stood there staring at the thing until the sun went down, effectively covering my tears. I refuse to be nothing more than a slave, my hand rolled into a fist. I refuse.


	6. Four Months Later

Four Months Later (Ban's P.O.V.)-

It took me three damn months to hike to that forest. I finally learned the Fountain of Youth's location after visiting a hidden temple in Thessaloniki. The all-seer, an old man who spent his days meditating, told me in exchange for this weird sacred wine they made in Crete. I did what was asked, which took me five days. He drank the wine and told me the location. "Far in the Eternal Forest rests a cup overflowing with life. A woman looks upon it." A woman? Huh, she must be the royal fairy protecting it. Oh well, I'll have no trouble dealing with her; fairies are little. She'll be easy to get out of the way.

That's what I naively believed as I made my way towards the jungle. It took three months to hike from Thessaloniki to the Eternal Forest. I knew I was heading in the right direction because after some time, villages started to disappear. Humanity just seemed to stop at some point, though I couldn't tell you where. The forest was massive but untouched, except for the woman guarding the elixir. Sure, there were dangerous creatures of all kinds lurking about, but I didn't really worry about them. I wasn't really worried about anything. All I knew is that the potion was in this forest and I was so close. So close.

It took me another two days once inside the jungle to reach the huge tree. The all-seer told me to find the tallest and widest tree; the goblet was on top of it. At first, there was no one to be seen. "Huh," I thought loud out as I made my way towards the tree. "Maybe the fairy's smaller than I thought." But I didn't worry about that for long. The tree housing the potion was in sight and for the first time since I started this journey, I felt my blood rush. "Now we're talkin'!" Singing to myself, I climbed the trunk, which took longer than expected. Relief filled me once the top came into view. I tossed my bag up first before pulling myself up.

I can't even begin to describe the joy I experienced when I first saw the Fountain of Youth. This silver chalice hovering in the air, overflowing with pinkish liquid. Everything suddenly felt worth it, all those months of traveling. It was right there in front of me, and with no guardian in sight, it was mine! All mine! "A miracle treasure guarded by a royal fairy: the Fountain of Youth. And anyone who chugs the water out of that cup is in for a nice dose of immortality, huh?" My long tongue ran over my lips. Yes, yes this is what it has all been for; this very moment. I would become immortal…. and then maybe, just maybe I could start to experience life.

Tossing my bag over my shoulder, I shoved my right hand into my pocket. "Oh man, talk about blowing things out of proportion. I don't see an old bag guarding any miracles around here." Literally the moment I said that, I blinked to see this woman standing off to the side staring at me. Her eyes were huge and transfixed onto me. My heart froze solid as I gawked back at her, though I didn't recognize her right away. It took me a few seconds to….

"Uh, what's up, miss? You lost or something?" She didn't look like a fairy to me; much too tall and ahem, curvy. Still, there was something about those blue eyes of hers, and her hair. Long and light pink, caressing the ground. She didn't say anything at first, just kept looking at me with a face of disbelief. "Y-you!" Her lips finally uttered. "Uh? Have we met?" This caught me by surprise. I didn't know her, did I? Wait…. My eyes start to grow wide. That hair, that face, those deep, deep eyes….. _She was a beauty…. a beauty too rich, too pure_. A memory came flooding back to me; one of me standing on the beach. That's right! Back at the coast, I walked along the beach every night for three nights, looking for a balcony. And on that balcony… "You!" That was all I had to say before her hand rose up. And just like that, I was sent flying far out into the forest away from the tree and her. "Oh shit!" My yell echoed for miles around.

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

Holy crap! What was that?! I stood there with my arm still extended. How did… how did he find this place?! Wasn't he the guy who came to see me on my balcony back at the castle? What is he doing here?! Wait, I slowly turned to eye the Fountain of Youth. I know why he's here; he came for "you". In that moment, I felt…. conflicted. A part of me was screaming to just let him take it. He was the first person I'd seen in four months, and I'm not sure when another would come. If I let him drink it, I wouldn't have to guard it anymore! But then….. If I do let him have it, what would Grandfather do to me? He'd probably marry me off to the first prince he could find. And knowing him, he wouldn't lose any sleep over it either. My options were either to guard this thing or be someone's wife. I peered back to the area where I sent the man flying. I guess I have no choice, well I do but I elect not to be forced into some horrific arranged marriage. I'll have to keep him from drinking the potion, no matter how much I want him to.


	7. Choices

Ban's P.O.V.-

"Talk about a close call. So she's the royal fairy who guards the Fountain of Youth, huh?" Lucky for me, a branch caught me stopping my fall. Well, unlucky for her, I had just walking for three months straight to reach this bloody forest and there's no way I'm leaving here empty-handed. After reaching the big tree again- two hours later- I climbed its trunk for a second time, singing to myself to occupy the time. But the moment I was up top, I found her there waiting for me. She didn't hesitate to send me flying off, again.

This time some mushroom men broke my fall. Groaning slightly, I got up, brushed myself off and headed back towards the tree once more. Man, I don't remember her being this violent back at the castle. Just like clockwork, the moment I reached the top, off I went flying into the air. The third time around, I decided to run up the tree trunk; I was losing my patience with this chick. If she blasts me off one more time, so help me….

Of course she did. Angrier and determined than ever, I climbed that trunk for what felt like the millionth time that day. And again, I went flying. Now I was downright livid. "Dammit! Would you just stop!?" I yelled the next time I got to the top. "Stop coming after the elixir; then I will stop." "Yeah, well I….!" She cut me off by bursting out into a coughing fit. Her hand grasped at her chest as the other covered her mouth. It looked like she was in pain. But this did give me an opportunity to get to my feet and come inward. After a few deep breaths, she blinked up at me; her eyes much softer this time.

"Man, what kind of guardian are you?" I smirked, placing a hand on my hip. "I never asked for this," she shot me a glare. "Oh please, like I care. But now it's my turn to get serious." Her eyes grew at the sight of me pulling out a steel nunchaku. After showing them off, I was expecting her to cry or go running or something. But to my surprise she just stood there, looking a little at war with herself. Her blue eyes moved from me to the elixir as if she was contemplating her next move. Then she gazed into nowhere, muddling to herself thoughtfully. "Poison won't work on me anymore, not with the hemlock in my system…." She said to herself. "And I don't have any weapons. All my magic now is to guard the potion and keep me alive…. but you," I flinched as her considerate eyes returned to me. "You can kill me."

The was she said this was… disturbing. This didn't frighten her; she sounded actually relieved. "Listen, whoever you are," her head suddenly shot in my direction. "You can have the potion on one condition." "Oh yeah? What's that?" I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear the answer. Her blue eyes narrowed onto mine. "Kill me first." "What?!" This literally made my jaw drop. Yeah, I was ready to fight her, but I wasn't planning on killing her. She isn't even armed! "Just do it!" She demanded. "No one will ever know; you'll suffer no consequences! You want the elixir, right? Well this is what you need to do to get it."

"Are you insane?! I'm not going to kill you! Why would you even ask me that? Wait, don't tell me; I don't want to know." Using my nunchaku, I was able to get the goblet before she could intervene. A wave of terror washed over her face as I sniffed the liquid. "Not bad; doesn't smell like booze though." "No!" "Well, bottoms up," I was about to put the cup to my mouth. "No, no! You can't!" It was her voice to echo through the forest this time.

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

My body took on a life of its own. No, every cell began to shake. No! It can't be this way! I'd rather die than be forced into an arranged marriage! Magic came off of me in an invisible wave, flowing off into the tree. "When I cheers to my health, I mean it." That was all he managed to get in before a bunch of vines all wrapped around him. He blinked in obvious alarm. "W-what the hell's going on here?!" One of the vines took the goblet away, causing me to give a little sigh in relief. Then I turned back to the struggling man.

"You better get these things off me right now!" "I gave you a choice; kill me and take the elixir or leave without it." "Why?! Why would you want that?" "Because I'll be forced to marry if you don't!" I loudly retorted. This caught his immediate attention as he stared at me dumbfounded. "You're not the only one with choices. I have two options myself; either guard the Fountain of Youth until I die or marry the prince my Grandfather sells me to. I refuse the latter, even if death is the only way out. I tried once, and it didn't work; now it has to be someone else who does it," I explained while gazing away. "So, now it's time for you to choose. Either leave empty-handed or become immortal once I'm dead."

The man didn't say anything right away, just kept watching me with wide eyes. Eventually he let out a sigh. "Huh, alright." "Alright what?" "I choose the former. You live; I'll leave emptyhanded." This made me turn to him in shock. "R-really?!" With a chuckle, his soulful red eyes shut. "Honest. This was such a bust but… that's the way it is." He… he's really being honest, isn't he? Reassured slightly, I pulled back the branches to release him. He glanced around and then looked back over at me. "Who are you?" I ventured to ask.

"Me? I'm a bandit; you really couldn't tell? And Bandit Ban is my handle around here. How about you, kid?" "My name… is Sinensis." "Sinensis? You mean like the tea plant?" "Yes, that's me." "And what's with the get up? Are you only wearing flowers?" I nodded. "I don't have anything else. They took everything when they brought me here." "They did? Why?" "I'm…. being punished." "Huh? For what?" "It's… a long story." "Well, I got nothin' but time," I looked to see Ban hop up onto a tree trunk; his hands rested behind his head and he flashed me a smirk. "You're going to stay?" This caught me off guard as I stood up. "Took me three months to walk here. It'll take a long time to get home. Might as well rest up while I'm here." "Three months…." My voice trailed off. "Well then, rest up. You can take your time here." "Boy, you're being understanding." "Maybe," my eyes rolled off into the distance as a warm breeze flowed over us. "But I'm not sure when I'll see anyone again."


	8. Strength

Ban's P.O.V.-

I woke up the next morning; I slept on a branch last night. With a yawn, I gazed over to my side. Something red caught my attention; a pile of berries and some water. "Huh?" "I thought you might be hungry." Sinensis's voice reached my ear, making me turn to look at her slightly confused. She was sitting on a branch nearby sipping what looked to be a makeshift cup full of tea. "Uh, thanks," I didn't hesitate to tuck in, not caring that she watched me eat with a look of curiosity. This girl…. She always had this lingering sadness about her, even at the calmest of times. It didn't help either that she asked me to kill her yesterday. That still didn't sit well with me. Berries in hand, I stood up to go sit closer to her.

"So, have you really been all on your own in this forest for four months?" Sinensis nodded softly. "Heh, that's so weird. The last time I saw you, you were in the capital." "We left the city on the same day," she said in a quiet tone. "How did you find this place?" "The all-seer told me; I had to find this special wine to get him to talk," I shoved a few more berries into my mouth. "I'm still curious why they would bring a girl like you out here to guard the Fountain of Youth. I mean I'm happy you didn't get forced into an arranged marriage but still, you're a princess."

Sinensis's eyes scrolled down a tad. "Grandfather ordered me to come. I stood trial when I got back to the castle." "Trial?! A royal standing trial? I didn't know that was possible." Moment of silence. "So whatcha do?" "I ran away; I lived with a human for seven years. He was… my teacher," I noticed her lower lip quiver as she spoke. Just for seeing this, I knew that he was a source of agony and possibly regret for her. I was careful how I proceeded foreword, not addressing him directly. "Did… they find you? Is that why you were in the castle when I got to the city?" "They found me in Crete…. alone. Grandfather commanded them to bring me back; they had to put me in chains to do it." "Huh," My gaze wandered up to the sky considering. "You're like no royal I'd ever met before. I thought girls loved being princesses." "I loved learning," she responded silently. I was about to ask her another question when she erupted into another one of her coughing fits. Her hand grabbed onto her chest, crushing some of the flowers that made up her dress.

I didn't know what to say in that moment, so I went my usual cocky, playful route. But I didn't want to look like a jerk; it sounded like it hurt, a lot. "I didn't know fairies could get sick." "It's the human blood in me. It weakens my body." "Oh? You half-human or something?" My eyebrow cocked. "On my father's side, yes." "So that's why you're taller and more… womanly," I tried not to sound like a sicko. She flashed me a kind smile. "It has its upsides. What about you? What's your story? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." "Huh, not much to tell," my shoulders gave a small shrug. "Had no parents, stole to survive as a kid, been to jail before." "It sounds lonely." "It was…. at first," my eyes also drifted off into nowhere as I remembered. I didn't like remembering.

"I made a friend in prison; Zhivago. He taught me how to steal and would often tell me stories. We… did not part well." Sinensis nodded her head in an understanding fashion. "I knew it." "Knew what?" "You know what pain feels like." "Yeah. I don't think about it much now though." A brief silence. "I think about it every day," her voice was soft and meek.

"Why are you after the Fountain of Youth?" She then asked me out of nowhere, catching me off guard a little. "No real reason. I just figured that if you live a lousy life long enough, maybe something good will finally come along and make it better. That's about it." Sinensis stared at me for a really long time after this. It honestly made me a little uncomfortable. "I wish I was like you….." "Huh?" This definitely surprised me; no one had ever said that before. "I'm so tired; I couldn't imagine living forever. The fact that I will die someday; it sounds morbid but does bring me a little bit of comfort. To know that nothing bad will happen to you then…." Her eyes lowered a tad. "Life is such a gamble."

"Hey now, come on. It's not that bad," I don't know why but I didn't like that look on her face just now. It was…. pure despair. I wanted in that moment nothing more than to see her smile; to see some brightness in her eyes. "I mean, this forest is pretty nice and you're not some tyrant's wife right now. You at least got that going for you." "I know, and I'm so thankful when I think about… that Grandfather even gave me a choice. I'm not like you, Ban," those blue eyes rolled up to me. "You are free; you can come and leave as you want. I'm stuck here forever…. and you're right, it could be worse. But I'm doomed to live and die alone….. alone," her lower lip began to quiver.

I merely stared at her for an endless moment. She's right; she's absolutely right. We come from different worlds, and while I escaped my prison, she can never leave hers. No wonder she might long for death; as an escape, her only escape. That… really didn't sit well with me; especially when I couldn't picture myself in her situation. This girl, this woman…. My eyes lowered onto her in the softest way possible. I thought I was strong, but she's so much stronger than me… And I want to know what makes her so damn strong; I want her to show me. Because maybe one day, I will be in her position, and I gotta know how to survive it. What makes her so strong… Maybe if I stick around long enough, she'll tell me.

Neither of us said anything for a while, just gazing off into the distance in a thoughtful manner. Eventually I peered back over to the princess. "Sinensis?" "Yes Ban?" She blinked to me. "Can I stay, for a little while?" "I thought that was the plan? I thought you were going to stay and rest up for your journey back?" "I mean…. can I stay? Can I stay here, Sinensis?" Her eyes grew and then softened in understanding. With a smile, her head nodded slowly. And my lips mirrored her grin as we looked at each other. There's pain in her eyes but there's also a kindness there too; a taste, a hint of lust for life. Her fire wasn't completely snuffed out yet; that's why she refused the arranged marriage with some foreign prince. I knew there was some part of her that sought happiness, and even though she was drowning in pain, the burden could be lightened. This strong, beautiful woman…..

I looked down at my hands clasped in front of me. Then again, maybe I'm just being selfish. Being here with her might do me more good than Sinensis; not that I thought my presence would hurt her. It was just nice to be so close to someone who understood the same burden I carried. Who knew what true pain felt like…. It made me sick to think that she was in pain but still, I couldn't deny the sense of kinship it gave me, us. We barely knew each other but I felt like she understood me better than any other human I'd met. She could know me in a way no one else could… My eyes peered up at her through the corner. I didn't know yet I knew….. That's all I know, and all I needed to know, at least for the moment. She'd teach me to be strong like her, and maybe I could find something to teach her in return.


	9. Flowers

Ban's P.O.V.-

"Wow, this place is massive," I hung off a branch at the top of the tallest tree. It was my first time seeing just how big this forest was. An endless stream of green in every direction; it was so big that the weather was different in certain areas. Some parts it was raining while others it was sunny. The Eternal Forest felt endless. And all with only one girl to watch over it. Speaking of which….

I hopped down from the top to the main area of the gigantic tree where I'd been staying for the past few days. "Hey, Sinensis? Sinensis?" I hadn't seen her since lunch earlier. She took off in some random direction. "Now where'd she run off to?" Curious, I jumped down to the forest floor and started to make my way down the path I thought she trailed earlier. Wandering absentmindedly through the trees; it felt so familiar after the two days it took me to reach it. The longer I was down here, the more isolating it seemed. It was isolating, in a way; nothing but speechless, impersonal trees every which way. This forest was beautiful but there was something cold and distant about it. Like an outsider could enter but never truly be a piece of its essence. It was a world all on its own, needing nothing from the outside. That's what made it so cold and isolating. Still…. I reached a small inlet with a little waterfall at the end of a pool. I wouldn't say that there was no warmth here. At the edge of the pool sat Sinensis; she was gazing wistfully down into the water. Amongst all this cold was a source of warmth; warm and comfortable.

I stood there motionless, simply watching her for a while. It was kind of an idyllic picture: a beautiful woman, who is half-human and half-fairy, sitting silently by a bank of water. The pain was still very much at the surface, but it was accompanied with a tenderness; a quiet joy. Maybe that's what made her feel so warm in such a place. My eyes softened onto her; she hadn't noticed I was standing nearby. These trees, this whole forest; it was immune to pain, the kind she or I could feel. But from such suffering bloomed a different perspective, a new kind of enjoyment for life. She was unlike anything else here; so soft, so warm…. She was clearly wilting but was still…. so full of life.

Sinensis lifted up her hand without warning. A pink flower appeared in her palm; she brought it up to her nose to gently smell it. Then, it smoothly fell from her hand into the water, followed by many others of the same. And she was smiling in that moment….. She was smiling. I realized in that moment how much you could learn about someone, just by watching them. Every line on her body, every motion, every breath; it told a story, countless stories. I don't think I'd ever noticed that about anyone before; how expressive the body could be. And all in silence. Maybe this was common knowledge which everyone already knew, but right then I felt like a child discovering something essential for the first time. Without words, I watched her; watched her and learned.

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

Ban announced that he wanted to climb the tallest tree today to get a good look at the Eternal Forest. I took the opportunity to go to a nearby spring with a waterfall; one of my favorite places here. I came to have a bath but before I got into the water, I sat on the bank to merely watch the ripples. A notion came to me that I should go check on Ban to make sure he climbed down ok, but on second thought, he seemed like a pretty skilled climber. So, perhaps selfishly, I stole these few quiet moments for myself. I sat and thought…. remembered. My eyes lowered onto the water; it gently rippled from the fall on the other side. I couldn't help but remember….. Remember something pleasant; warm.

 _Socrates took me to the famous springs in Naples. I loved Naples; it was warm and tropical like back in the capital city I was born in. It always smelt like orange blossoms. Socrates loved orange blossoms, especially light pink ones. I was twelves year old at the time; it was springtime and the pool water was a brilliant emerald green. Socrates took some much-needed rest under a nearby tree while I played excitedly in the springs. We had just come from a long journey from Rome and were both tired; though I was too elated to let it bother me._

" _Look, Socrates!" I waved back at him. "The water's green!" He flashed me a kind, wise smile; his signature expression. "It's the algae; the spring's waking up from a winter slumber," my teacher explained. "Really?" I blinked down to it ponderingly. "Look, Sinensis. The flowers are in bloom." "They're so pretty! And they smell so good!" "The flowers have always been beautiful here," Socrates sighed softly. "Teacher….." This made me look back to him with a hint of worry. "Is something wrong? You sounded troubled just now."_

 _Socrates just looked at me for a long time before peering up at the pink blossoms in the tree above him. "I was just thinking…." "Thinking about what?" "You like the flowers, Sinensis?" "Yes, I love them; they're so pretty." "But they won't always be. Flowers are like you and me, my child. They will wilt and fade away, in time… What we love is the fleeting form they are now. So fragile and short-lived… It's pitiful in a way. But we must remind ourselves not to hold onto beauty or life, for they too are like flowers; transitory."_

 _That's the way Socrates was; he was a philosopher first and foremost. He was always saying stuff like that, and every word resonated with me. Even if I didn't understand it. "Transitory?" I blinked over at him confusedly. "What's "transitory" mean?" A gentle pause. "It means that things do not last, Sinensis; nothing is forever. Do you understand?" "I…. think so? Is that why it's like the flowers? Because they don't live for very long?" "That's right. We are like the flowers you see here, my child." We are like the flowers? My eyes slowly gazed up at them._

" _Is there a way we can make them live longer?" I asked, unsure if I was missing the point of his lecture. Socrates didn't reply right away; he looked like he was intently considering what to say next. But eventually his learned smile reappeared. I think because of my age, he wanted to keep it light-hearted. There was still so much I didn't know about life and death; the impermanence of everything…. "If you put them in water, they will last a bit longer."_

 _Without hesitation, I got up to collect all the fallen little pink blossoms in my hands. As carefully as possible, I carried them over to the spring. Socrates watched me gently drop them into the pool; the green was soon blotted with a sea of pink petals. Then I sat down beside the water to observe them float on the surface, confident I just saved lots of flowers from an untimely death. "Sinensis?" I gazed back at my beloved teacher, who was staring back at me. His face was firm and sincere. "Embrace the transience of living."_

My hand lifted as I used my magic to form a little pink flower in my hand. Bringing it up to my nose for a smell, I couldn't help but be overcome with positive emotion. Its scent was so familiar and lovely…. Then, I gently slid it off my palm, letting it fall into the water. Using more magic, other pink flowers followed the first. I smiled at the sight; flowers gently resting on the surface. They would soon drift off and eventually sink to the bottom of the spring, but for the moment, they sat there peacefully. This…. this was the transience Socrates talked about. There was no point getting attached to the way things were because I was ultimately powerless to stop it from changing. But the joy it brought me now…. this moment right here; this joy was also real. Pain was a large part of my life but one benefit to the transient nature of life was that moments like this would always come. Come and go….. Just like everything else.

I don't know why but in that second, I felt compelled to look over my shoulder. There stood Ban; he had been watching me for I don't know how long. But that didn't bother me. My eyes softened onto him as neither of us moved right away. Come and go, just like everything else…. He's the same, and yet…. _"Embrace the transience of living."_ I could enjoy this too; our time together, however short it might be. The happiness he could and would bring me…. that's real too.


	10. Bath

Ban's P.O.V.-

Once she spotted me, we just stared at each other for a second or so; neither of us reacting instantly. Eventually, after a moment or so, I cracked a grin and shoved my hands into my pockets. "Whatcha' doin'? Goin' for a swim?" A smile blossomed across her lips. "I was going to have a bath." "A bath, huh? That's sounds really nice actually," my forefinger scratched my cheek as I gazed at the water. "I could use a bath myself." "Would you like to join me?" "Huh?!" This made me blink at Sinensis in shock. I didn't think she was that kind of girl; not that there's anything wrong with "that" kind of girl. It just surprised me, that's all.

But I think my stunned reaction was premature. With one wave of her hand over herself, Sinensis's gown of flowers transformed into a floral version of a bathing suit. "We used to do this all the time back in Athens," she told me while gracefully stepping into the pool. Once the water reached her waist, the fairy princess took in a deep breath and dove in. She re-emerged with wet pink hair, still smiling at me. "Come on in; the water's lovely!"

After watching her for another second, a grin rolled naturally over my mouth. "I'm not one to turn down a good swim!" Tossing my shirt and pants off, leaving my undergarments to keep my decency, I ran towards the pool. "Canon ball!" With a loud holler, I jumped in canon-ball style. The water felt amazing! I don't know if it was magic forest water or the fact that I can't remember the last time I swam, but it was fantastic! Coming up to the surface, I drew in a much-needed breath and ran my hand through my hair. "This is great!" A wide smile crossed my face; I didn't even realize I was smiling. Genuinely smiling.

Sinensis mirrored my expression before splashing me in the face. "You got water all over me!" "What are you talking about? We're in a pool! Water's already all over you." She laughed. "That's not the point," her hand splashed me again. I shot her an evil, playful smirk. "Oh, you don't want to start a splashing war with me, Missy. Don't go starting fights you can't finish." After looking at me for a minute, she teasingly splashed me again. I wiped the water off my face to reveal a devilish expression. "Oh! You asked for it!"

Using both arms, I sent a huge splash her way. It was so strong that she actually felt back into the water. When she got up, her hair was all out in front of her, covering her face. Of course this made me laugh hysterically. "You look like the monster from the lagoon!" I pointed at her while continuing to laugh. She moved the strains out of the way to reveal an unimpressed face. My laughing gave her an opportunity to splash me back; not as forcefully as I splashed her but enough to get my mouth full of water. I broke out into a coughing fit before sending her a glare. She had the audacity to smile in that "cutesy" fashion, like "I'm so innocent". Yeah, I don't think so; that's not going to work on me. I didn't hesitate to send a massive wave her way. Again, she fell back into the pool behind her, only to re-surface and retaliate. Rinse and repeat for about twenty minutes.

By the end, we were both laughing and exhausted. I was the clear victor and I didn't just know that because of my ego. I let her get a few good splashes in here and there, but it was no contest. Afterwards, she fell onto her back and floated on the surface, casually looking up at the sky. I couldn't help but notice that she was still smiling; but then, so was I. I followed suit and we lounged there like that for some time, just sky-gazing aimlessly. From time to time, my hand touched one of the pink flowers still floating in the water; those that weren't destroyed in the splash war. Huh, my eyes gently shut as I drew in a deep breath. It smelt like orange blossoms and fresh spring water. My grin widened unconsciously. This is nice….

We eventually got around to cleaning ourselves; the actual purpose of a bath. Sinensis gave me some essential oils to rub all over myself. "Won't these make me smell flowery?" "Its sandalwood. It will help any muscle tension and keep your skin healthy." "That so?" I took a whiff of the stuff; sure smelt strong. Huh, what the hell? I rubbed it over my arms, legs, and chest. Sinensis did the same with what smelt like lavender oil; she put some rosemary oil in her hair. Then she dove under the water for one last rinse. I did the same.

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

Ban smelt all musky and natural; not that he smelt bad before. After rinsing ourselves off, Ban sat down on a nearby rock and gave his head a shake. His hair must dry fast, being so short; not like mine which took hours to fully dry. "Man, I can't remember the last time I actually washed myself," he tapped the side of his head, trying to get the water out of his ear. "I bathe almost every day," I replied. "That's because you live in a spring-filled forest," he shot me a knowing smirk. "You're right. I bathed much less in Athens." "Don't you ever worry about drowning on your own?" "I never go into the deep springs. I don't know what's at the bottom," I grinned. He chuckled. "Better to play it safe, I guess." "Yes," I was about to walk over to him until a familiar sensation caught hold of me. Ban's expression morphed to one of concern as I erupted into yet another coughing fit.

"Easy, easy," hopping back into the water, Ban took a few steps towards me. But before he reached me, I flashed him a pained smile. "I'm…. ok." "Here, give me your hand." I did as he instructed, and the bandit led me out of the water. He waited until I was out before hopping up onto the grass himself. He then brushed a few stray hairs off my cheek, gently placing them behind my ear. "You ok?" "Y-yeah, I'm fine. It happens all the time." "That's not a good thing," he frowned. "It doesn't hurt so much anymore," my eyes drifted off. "Anything I can do? Can I bring you anything?" "No, thank you," I grinned up at him. Sighing a little, he straightened up to go fetch his clothes.

"You really don't have anything out here?" "Nothing man, or fairy, made," my head shook. "That's why I only wear flowers; leaves are too itchy." I didn't see him come towards me, but my eyes grew in surprise as I felt something drape over my back. Checking, I saw Ban's shirt on me. I obviously gave him a confused look. "You don't have anything to dry yourself off with, right? Last I checked, towels are man-made," he flashed me a kind smirk. "T-thank you! It usually takes me a long time to dry." "No big deal," he said, drying himself off with his pants. When I realized that this left him with no dry clothes, I gently waved my hand in his direction. "We'll find something to eat once we're…."

Ban couldn't finish his sentence; he was cut off by the series of large tropical leaves sprouting out of nowhere. They effectively covered him like a shirt and pair of shorts. "Huh?" He blinked to me in surprise. "I can change them to flowers if they're uncomfortable." "Huh… n-no, they're fine!" His eyes were huge; his face wore an almost dumbfounded expression. "Just until your clothes dry," I stood up, holding his shirt in my arm. I made a flower dress for myself and took Ban's pants from him. "I'll hang these to dry in the sun," I explained, turning towards the path back to the main tree. "O-ok, then I'll get a head start on finding us some grub," Ban offered. "Thanks, Ban." "No problem, Sencha."

This made me come to a screeching halt. I slowly turned around to face him with wide eyes myself. "What did you just call me?" "Uh, Sencha?" The confidence immediately vanished from his face. "Sencha…" I repeated quietly. "I-is that ok?" "Y-yeah! I mean yeah. No one but my brother has ever called me that before." Not even Socrates, though he never used nicknames with anyone. "Alright then, Sencha it is." "Alright then," a smile spread over my lips. "I can't think of a nickname for you; at least one that's better than "Bandit Ban"," my cheeks blushed a tad. "Eh, Ban is fine," he shrugged. "It's a nice name," I offered. "I never thought about it before. But it doesn't sound so boring when you say it." "Really?!" My whole body perked up startled. This was met with a smile; a sincere smile. "Yeah."


	11. Star Gazing

Ban's P.O.V.-

 _The cell was cold and damp. It got so dark at night in Aberdeen Prison that I couldn't see anything. Pressed up against the grey brick wall, I could see the moon from the high window right above me. I peered out of it for I don't know how long, like I did every night. Longing…. A sharp agony started to fester deep inside me. I longed for something better…. A reality where I wasn't so alone and helpless. One which I could have anything I wanted; everything I've been denied. That's what I spent my time dreaming about in the thick, indifferent walls._

 _My little arm stretched out so my hand could reach up towards the moon. It was so far away yet still so big; the only company I had on chilly nights such as this. Yes, I wanted a better life; there had to be more to life than this. There had to be…. My hand stretched outside my window as far as it could. I don't care long it takes; I will find a better life, somehow._

My eyes opened up to the night sky. I was sprawled out on the grass with one arm stretched out at my side. The other was reaching up to the moon, though I don't remember moving my limb that way. It's the strangest thing, my gaze lowered onto the sky high above me. It's the same sky I saw from that cell every night, but it seemed so different now. It didn't feel like the same sky; then again, this didn't feel like that same life. The same life I had back in prison…

Huh, I wonder when that changed? Did it change? I wonder….. Is it still the same life? It must be since I haven't died yet. But there was something different. I was a different man than I was back then; I'd seen so much. I'd had so much joy. A memory of Zhivago teaching me the "snatch" technique came to me. And so much sorrow…. This was immediately followed by the horrific memory of Zhivago choosing his natural-born son over me. So much pain…. Still, I can't help but feel different than that boy sitting in that cell so many years ago. Maybe…. maybe I am living a different, new life; maybe a person can get a new life without dying. That's one possible explanation.

Wait, what am I doing out here again? Oh, that's right! I was star gazing with Sencha. Sencha….. Drawing my arm back down, I rolled onto my side to see the princess laying down on the grass beside me. She was watching the stars with a soft, content expression. It was clear that she was thinking, or possibility remembering; something was going on behind those deep sapphire eyes. This was…. the first time I'd star gazed with anyone. I used to do it all the time as a child alone. But I wasn't alone this time; not alone…. And neither was she. After four months of guarding the Fountain of Youth by herself, it must be nice to have company.

It was around this time that Sencha noticed me looking at her. She moved her head in such a way so to see me. "Something wrong, Ban?" "Nah, I'm good," I grinned a tad. Grinning herself, she laid her head back down on the grass. "I used to star gaze all the time when I was a child; first with my brother, then my teacher." "Yeah, same here; only I was alone," turning to my back, I faced the dark sky once again. "Oh, I'm sorry." "Eh, it didn't bother me too much. I've grown used to being alone, you know." No reply, but I knew she didn't like what I just said.

"There are so many stars," that was my poor attempt at small talk when she didn't say anything for a while. "I learned about astrology when I was in Athens," she finally spoke. "You were away from home for a long time." "Seven years." "Did you spend most of that time in Athens?" "More than half I'd say. We traveled a lot, but Athens was our base, you could say." "I'd never been to Athens before; I went to Thebes instead," I said, lowering my eyes a little. I spotted a shooting star nearby.

"Hey, just curious. Have you heard of this guy called Socrates? He was apparently this genius in Athens; really famous. You must have at least heard about him while you were there, right?" To my surprise, Sencha gave what sounded like a pained sigh. She didn't answer right away, electing to stare at the stars for a long moment. "Sencha?" This silence wasn't like the other times; it felt heavy. That's the only way I could think to describe it. Her lips parted and sucked in a deep, deep breath. "I knew Socrates." "You did!?" "Yes," she whispered. "What was he like? Were the rumors true? Was he super smart?" "He was… a genius; the smartest man I'd ever met." "How'd you meet him?" "He was…. my teacher." "Wait," I started to put the pieces together as I sat up, using my arm to prop up my upper half. "He's not… your "teacher"; the one you keep referring to?"

A long, long pause. "Yes; yes, he is," her voice sounded strained like this was difficult to talk about. But my interest was peeked. "Wow! You trained under Socrates! You must be really smart." This made her grin; a very tiny grin. "I wouldn't say that. I'm nothing compared to him." "Maybe to him but to someone like me," my eyes rolled back up to the sky. "Can you read? And write?" "Oh yes; I've read many books. And I can do math." "Wow, really?! Like complicated math?" She chuckled lightly. "Not so much. My area of interest was always philosophy." "Well, that's way out of my range," I shrugged.

"That's what Socrates really was: a philosopher. He had this… thirst for knowledge, and he always said I taught him more than he taught me. I don't think that's true, but he said it, and I doubt it was just for my benefit," Sencha's eyes softened. My heart gave a little unexpected leap when she chuckled again. "He was the best teacher. He never made me write anything down; all my lessons were done orally. It was actually Crito, an older student of Socrates, who taught me to read and write. Socrates taught more…. naturally. He would show me things and explain them; though I usually didn't understand. I don't think I'll ever understand some things…." I saw her face tense up a tad. "This is the most I've talked about him….."

This prompted me to suddenly remember something; something I wish I didn't know. But still I had to ask. I had to know; so many things would make sense if I was right. And I prayed that I wasn't right. "Wasn't…. Socrates executed over a year ago? Didn't he die in Athens?" An uncomfortable lull in the conversation. Sencha's eyes sharpened in sheer agony. But eventually her lips parted, with the lower quivering furiously. "Yes…. yes," she said twice, the second time more for herself than me. "I'm…. so sorry," it felt like a wave had hit me. It washed over me, opening my eyes for what felt like the first time since I saw Sencha on that balcony. I was seeing clearly; the first time in four months. And I already missed the fog.

It made sense; it all suddenly made sense. Of course she'd still be suffering. They killed her beloved mentor; the guy who raised and taught her for seven years. While I learned that the world was an unfair and cruel place in that Aberdeen cell, she must have learned it the moment they passed his sentence. They unknowingly took everything from her; everything…. That glimmer of pain in her eyes wasn't self-loathing…. It was emptiness. She had this huge hole in her and despite being devoid of content, it was a heavy burden to carry. One which she brought here with her.

I laid back down; my eyes still glued onto Sencha. While laying on my side, I watched her with the utmost understanding, and pity. "Sencha," my voice was hollow and full at the same time; depressed and hopeful…. Without a word, she rolled onto her side to face me, allowing us to stare at each other. We seemed to do that a lot; not because we were stockerish. Rather, we were intrigued by the other; she fascinated me. I found her to be genuinely remarkable. And judging by the way she looked back at me, she felt the same. Two misfits that fit together, somehow…. Maybe what made us fit was this general interest; an interest no one showed in us.

A breeze rolled over the patch of grass we were laying on, moving the grass all around us. I didn't pay attention; Sencha had all of my devotion at the moment. Neither of us said anything for the rest of the night. We just stayed looking at each other like that for a while. We didn't say anything out loud, but a conversation was happening; we could read each other's eyes. Mine would move and hers would react. She essentially said that her mentor was dead and that it was cold without him. My eyes responded with "this place, this forest is warm because of you". Her face softened, and the faintest hint of a grin lurked in the corner of her mouth. Her eyes then said "I miss him so much". And mine replied "I know…. but your warmth is still there, even if the world around you feels cold. You are warm; you are warm to me". Her grin began to very slowly grow. Her endless blue eyes then read "I'm happy you're here, Ban". I'm happy you're here, Ban…. A grin bloomed across my lips as I silently replied: so am I.


	12. Berries

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

"Ok, here's another one for ya. If a tree falls in the woods and no one's around to hear it; does it make a sound?" "That's a rhetorical question. It theoretically has no answer." "Ah, come on. There's got to be an answer. It either makes sound or it doesn't." Ban and I were picking berries at the biggest Lincoln berry patch I knew of. He spent the whole time asking me questions, usually of a scientific or philosophical nature. Some were easier to answer than others. "Not all questions have answers, Ban," I reached out to pick some fresh red berries and put them in our makeshift baskets. "Then what's the point in asking them?" Looking over my shoulder to him, I smiled. Once again, I had no adequate reply.

"Now I have a question for you. If you can't read, then why did you bother going into bookstores and libraries back in the capital city? You couldn't read the Fountain of Youth's whereabouts even if you did find it." Ban shrugged, popping a handful of berries into his mouth before continuing to pick. "I can't read words, but I can read maps. I was hoping to come across one; preferably with a big goblet on it." I laughed. "Seeing as you went all the way to see the all-seer, I assume you had no success?" "Not at all," he scarfed down more berries. "It's kinda a miracle I found you actually, when I think about it…." He means the forest I'm sure, I quietly put more berries into my basket.

My long light pink hair was tied back with vines and flowers in attempt to keep it out of my way. Ban didn't say anything at first, but I caught him glancing over to my hair occasionally. When I saw him this time, he gave a smile and turned back to the bush. "Your hair looks nice like that." "Thank you. I just hope I don't attract any bees." This made him laugh. "Just shoo them away." "I can't! What if they sting me?" "Don't tell me you're afraid of bees? You're a fairy princess." "Says the guy whose likely never had a bee stuck in his hair before! Do you know how terrifying that is?" "Well unlike "some" of us, I'm not afraid of a little sting," he said in a cocky tone. I sent him a clever smirk. "Somehow I have no trouble believing that."

In the most perfect fit of irony, I then stretched my arm out to grab some particularly lovely-looking berries. It was in a thornier section of the bush, which I realized as this sharp pain pierced my finger. Ban blinked over as I winced in agony, pulling my hand back. A drop of blood rolled down my forefinger. Putting his basket down, he came over to me, gently reaching over to take hold of my hand. I brought it closer to his face; after examining the wound, he gave a kind smirk. "Boy, are you clumsy." "I didn't think I was usually." "Does it hurt?" "A little." I watched with pink cheeks as he suddenly lifted my finger to his mouth. After licking the blood away, he tore a piece off the bottom of his shirt to use as a bandage. "There! All better." "T-thank you," I slowly brought my hand back for inspection. He did a pretty good job wrapping up my finger, but… "You didn't have to do that," I said in a quiet voice. "Don't be ridiculous, it's just a shirt. Not like I'm attached to it or anything," he returned his side of the berry patch. Odd, he spoke with such earnestness….. He didn't even hesitate to rip his shirt for a little finger prick. I gazed from my finger over to his back; the bandit was happily eating more berries than he picked. My eyes softened onto him. No one's ever done that for me since…..

"Hey, Ban?" "Yeah?" His mouth was all full. "What would you like to do this afternoon?" "Huh? I thought we were gathering food." "I meant after that." "Hmmmmmm," he took a second to swallow his mouth's contents. "I get to choose?" "Yes; we can do whatever you want." "Well in that case, how about we….." Before he could finish his sentence, some very loud squeaking came from the distance. A bunch of pixies flew over to us, looking quite frazzled and frantic. They spoke in a language I knew Ban couldn't understand, sounding like mouse squeaks and bells to the layman's ear.

"What are they?" Ban pointed up at them curiously. "Pixies; little messengers of the forest," I then turned back to them. "What's wrong?" They said roughly to come quick, that there was a monster destroying their homes and eating many of them at a time. I hesitated for a minute. "That's not… really my job." "What's not?" Ban asked me. "They want me to deal with a forest monster plaguing their territory," I turned back to the pixies. "I can't really do anything. I don't have any weapons and I can't conjure up any poison; any that'll work on monsters at least." But this wasn't good enough for them. They kept begging and pleading with me until I finally relented.

With a sigh, I shut my eyes. "Well I guess… I could have a look." "Wait, you're actually going?" Ban sounded surprised. This was immediately followed with: can I come? "Of course! It's not far from here. We'll be back for sundown." Hopefully.


	13. Threat

Ban's P.O.V.-

The pixies led us to a part of the forest I'd never been to before. It was about an hour's walk or so. The whole way Sencha told me about the forest-life and how the ecosystem worked around here. That only made this place feel colder to me; it was organic and developed completely on its own. Outsiders were truly outsiders; that's what I was… My gaze unconsciously wandered over to Sencha, who was conversing with one of the pixies. I wonder if she felt the same way. She was the only source of warmth for me in this endless forest…. but where was she source of warmth? Who kept her warm? I didn't realize that I was almost blushing in that moment.

Sencha came to a halt in a little ravine. It was extensive yet tight; vast yet compact. The pixies tinkered, which was them talking, I guess. It must have been, since Sencha always answered back. "He's here, is he? What does he look like?" She asked them. More tinkering. "I see… well we definitely can't take him on." Even more tinkering. You know, I was starting to feel a little excluded. "But maybe if I talk to him?" "Talk to who?" I'd finally had enough; I wanted in too. "The monster," Sencha looked at me. "You…. wanna talk to the monster?" "Maybe I can get him to leave if I reason with him." "Or he'll just eat you; one of the two."

Sencha mulled this over of a second and I was surprised she was even still considering it. "Why don't we see him? Size him up, and then we can decide what to do?" "I dunno," my hands rested behind my head nonchalantly. "I think we should head back; no point in going looking for a fight." The pixies did not like that, as they started pulling at Sencha's flower dress and hair in a panic. "Please, Ban; what's the harm in looking?" "Well…. alright," I sighed shoving my hands into my pockets. "Where should we start?"

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

The pixies told me that this whole area was the monster's domain; he could be anywhere in here. It might take all day to find him if we stuck together. "We maybe should split up…." "Huh?" This caught Ban off guard. "It's a big area; we can cover more ground if split up." "Uh, yeah; no. Wasn't this a monster you're talking about? A killer monster? A monster with a taste for flesh?" "I'm not saying we confront him; just find him. Then we can figure out what to do. Maybe there's a peaceful resolution." "Uh huh, sure," he frowned, placing one hand on his hip in an unimpressed way.

The pixies continued to beg, and Sencha turned to face me straight on. "Please Ban? If we separate, we can cover the whole area in a couple of hours. The pixies aren't going to light up, so please….." He didn't reply for a moment, looking like he was thinking about something. "Alright, fine," he eventually huffed. "Thank you, Ban," I gave him a grin. "You take that side of the forest and I'll take this side. We can meet back here by sunset if you want." "Sure." But as I turned to leave, Ban's voice caught me by surprise.

"Sencha." Pausing, I peered over my shoulder at him. He had this resolute expression on his face; one of concern. His red eyes narrowed onto mine. "Don't…. don't do anything without me. Just wait; if you find him, I'll come to you." He wasn't asking; he was begging. I was so astonished that I couldn't help but nod my head, my eyes still glued onto his. "I will, don't worry." But his expression said that he worried. Not really sure what else to say, I spun my head back around and took off into my section of the forest. I'd lived here for four months, during which I'd seen my fair share of monsters. Running from monsters was not new to me. But that look Ban just gave me…. He didn't know that, and I bet it wouldn't help anything if he did. He was… worried about me. Me, of all people; a fairy princess who guards the Fountain of Youth. I didn't understand where this concern was coming from. I didn't…..

Ban's P.O.V.-

That Sencha… who does she think she is? She has no way to protect herself; what does she expect to do when and if she finds that thing? Talk to it? Negotiate with it? She's clearly had her nose in those books for way too long. That's not how monsters operate. "Oh, hi there Mr. Flesh Eater? Would you mind leaving the forest?" Give me a break, I shoved my hands into my pockets as per usual. With luck, I'll find it before her, so she'll never even see it. At least I can protect myself; I've had to all my life. But her…. I don't why but the thought of her in danger is a feeling completely foreign to me. It's like regular fear times a hundred. That made me think, maybe what I've experienced before wasn't real fear, or a milder version of fear. But when it came to Sencha…. My eyes narrowed a tad. I don't know where these emotions are coming from, but they were most definitely there. And they're strong….

I wandered around for about two hours with no success. I did come across a few springs, some with waterfalls, a valley of flowers, a bog, and a really creepy cave. The cave caught my attention; not just cause it was the perfect place for a monster to hang out but because it was neat inside. Pitch black, obviously. A few precious gems were wedged into the walls. I could use those, I pondered rubbing my hand under my chin. I'll come back for them later, and I'll bring Sencha. She'll probably get spooked in here; the perfect opportunity to playfully scare her. A mischievous grin rolled across my face. That'll be fun; I'll even let her chase me around a little afterwards.

Fun…. Wait, I turned to the entrance of the cave. How long have I been searching now? Two hours? I gave a yawn and put my hands behind my head casually. Eh, that's long enough; I've been apart from her long… My heart skipped a beat as my arms dropped. I simply stared at the darkening sky with my mouth opening a little. That's right, we separated to find the monster that's been plaguing the area. I didn't find anything, which means that he's likely nowhere near me. But what about….?

You idiot! You complete moron! I scolded myself as I made a dash out of the cave. I wasn't aware in which direction I was going; I was just running away from where I was. It's been two hours! That's plenty of time for him to…. but no. Sencha said she wouldn't approach the monster without me. But what if she couldn't find me? I was probably over-racing, but just the very notion that she could be in danger… it made my legs run faster; faster than they had in a long time.

It didn't take me long to get back to the original spot where we parted. Unluckily for me, Sencha was nowhere to be seen. Ah great, now how do I find her in this god-forsaken place? Not like this stupid forest was going to help me. I thought too soon as in that moment, a pixy tugged at my sleeve. Blinking over to her with a startled expression, she motioned for me to follow her. Or at least that's what I think she was saying. "Alright then, you're the boss," I let her lead me down a path on Sencha's side of the area.

We walked- well, I walked; she flew- for a while until we arrived at another inlet; this one bigger than the former. The pixy pointed with her tiny green finger in a direction; when I followed it, I saw Sencha standing on the other side of the valley. A wave of instant relief washed over me as I literally sighed out loud. Then I cracked a grin and waved at her. "Hey, Sencha!" Her head immediately turned my way, though she wasn't smiling. "Oh, Ban! Did you find anything?" She hollered over to me. "Nah, not a thing. I think this search was a bust; we should…."

Before I could finish, the ground rumbled slightly. "What the hell was that?" I glanced down to my feet. The pixies started freaking out all around us. Sencha had just enough time to spin around as something tall suddenly rose up in front of her. It looked like this weird centipede thing; not the scariest I'd ever seen. But when I realized how close it was to Sencha…. That might have been the scariest thing I'd ever seen. I felt my limbs start to visibly shake as I watched for the next ten seconds. "Sinensis!" My voice echoed through the forest.

Sencha screamed; a terrified shriek. This was proceeded by its long tail coming up to bash her in the side. It was so tall and thick that it was almost as big as she was; powerful enough to send her crashing a way off. She hollered in pain as I saw her land harshly on the ground. And she just laid there like she was unconscious or something, not moving. Witnessing this… I stood there motionless, physically numb for a split second. Seeing that… was painful. But this wasn't the kind of pain I was familiar to. This was a new kind of pain. Sencha got hit but I felt like I had just been struck in the chest. It was powerful and agonizing… Something I couldn't just walk off or ignore like before. As I looked at her, laying sprawled out on the ground, something overcame me; pain…. and rage. My pain was quickly numbed out by the pure, unadulterated wrath flowing through my body. It touched every inch of me, every cell….. That monster…. I knew… I knew before I even looked back at it…. It was going to die, my head slowly turned back to face it. It was going to die, by my hand.

The fight was over before it began. The next thirty seconds were a blur to me but when I regained full control of myself and my senses, I stood there with its heart in my hand. Looking back, the creature slithered a bit forward before falling down dead. I wasn't even upset it wasn't much of a fight, I thought tossing down its heart to the ground. Sencha was my main concern right now. I ran over to her; looks like she was passed out for the "battle". Good, I gently put my arm under her to lift her head up off the ground. I didn't want her to see that anyways.

It was about then that Sencha started to come to. In reality, she'd been out for two minutes; still, two minutes too long in my opinion. Her eyes gently fluttered open. "B-Ban?" "Yo," I gazed down at her with soft eyes. "You ok?" "Uh huh," she nodded in a tired manner. "W-what happened?" "Don't worry, I took care of it." "R-really? You didn't get hurt, did you?" "Ha! What are you worried about me for? You really think something like that could lay a scratch on me?" No reply; she just breathed deeply for a moment. "You are ok? Does your head hurt?" "No, I'm just… tired, I guess." "Well yeah, we spent all afternoon looking for that thing. And you got hit pretty hard back there." Her head merely nodded. This girl… My eyes lowered onto her. This warm, warm girl….

I didn't hesitate to scoop her up into my arms princess-style. This made her blush as she blinked over at me with wide eyes. "N-no, that's ok. I can walk…." "What? You don't like being carted around like a princess? Hate to break it to you but you are a princess." "B-but I don't need you to…." "Would you just give it a rest?" I pressed my forehead into hers playfully. Playfully and tender…. Her eyes lowered onto mine; again, tenderly. "Heh, I kinda like taking care of you," I cracked a grin. "I've never taken care of anyone before." "But I'm an adult woman," her cheeks sizzled a tad. "Not to mention you're way smarter than me," I added, only making her smile grow. "But… I don't know; I just… want to. It makes me happy, like I'm actually doing something good to somebody for a change."

"You are good, Ban," Sencha replied in the sweetest, most genuine tone. I looked at her. "You really think I'm a good person?" "I don't think; I know." "Huh," I really didn't know how to feel in that moment. "No one's ever said that to me before….." "Well, it's true," I flinched as her head rested against my chest; boy, she looked tired. "T-thanks, Sencha. You're a good person too." "No, I'm not," she said with her eyes closed. This caught me by surprise. "I'm selfish…." She whispered very quietly. "Why? Because you like being taken care of? That's not selfish." "I never said I liked being taken care of." My eyes lowered intently onto her. "Well that's too bad, cause I'm still gonna carry you."


	14. Happiness

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

" _What's your name, little girl?" A soft hiccup. "S-Sinensis…. Camellia Sinensis." "Sinensis….." An old, kind reached down to me. "Come with me, my child." Hesitation. "Your worries are over now, Sinensis. Come with me; I'll teach you everything you've ever been denied."_

My eyes softly fluttered open; the morning sun was pouring down on me where I laid on the grass. A dream… Sitting up, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. A good dream….. That was so long ago; back before I knew anything. My gaze made its way to Ban, who was still snoring soundly on a branch nearby. His legs and arms were hanging down and his mouth was wide open. I got up to gently brush some stray grass strands off me and wander over to Ban's side; my eyes lowering onto him in a studious manner. I was so lucky to find a teacher like Socrates… Ban was less fortunate with his mentor. This man…. My hand lifted to touch the bark of the branch he was currently sleeping on. He killed the monster that attacked me without hesitation. Although I would have wished for a more peaceful resolution, he did what he thought was right. _"You are good, Ban."_ I was being honest when I said that; he was good…. even if no one had ever told him that before.

"Does your head hurt at all?" Ban asked me. Sometime later, we were wandering through the forest; quite aimlessly. But that wasn't a problem; what else was there to do? My head gave a little sake. "No, not at all. Bit of luck that, huh?" "I'll say, but then I get hit on the head all the time and it never bothers me," he rubbed the top of his head nonchalantly. "You can tell me if you get hurt. I'll help you." The bandit eyed me for a moment before glancing away with a side-smirk. "I'm pretty good on my own. Never come across anything I can't handle." "Maybe someday you will." "I doubt it; I'm tough. I can deal with pretty much anything." Ban… I gazed over at him.

"By the way, I wanted to thank you." "Huh? For what?" "For saving me from that demon yesterday." "Forget about it. It was nothing," his hands rested behind his head. "You saved my life. That's not nothing." "Sure, it is. It was easy for me. What wasn't easy was seeing that thing whack you like that." "That bothered you?" My eyes grew surprised. "What kind of question is that? Of course it bothered me. I'd rather it be me than you." My feet came to a halt for a moment as I just stared at him wide-eyed. What did he just say? Why? Why would he want that? Sure, I want the same thing but that's because it would hurt me more to see him get…. oh.

I took in a deep breath, unsure how to proceed with my next question. "Ban, when you said yesterday that you've never taken care of anyone before…." I know he was alone in his youth but… "Aside from Zhivago, did anyone ever take care of you?" "Why are you asking me this?" He sounded a little affronted. "I-I just wanted to know… if they didn't, were you… were you bullied? Picked on?" "You got that from our previous conversation?" His eyebrow rose. "You said it was easy for you. I was wondering if that might be why."

To my surprise, Ban didn't answer right away. He simply stared up into the sky like he was thinking….. remembering. I suddenly felt really stupid and guilty for asking. Of course he wouldn't want to talk about being bullied as a child. Who would? Before I could say anything to rectify the situation, he gave a forced smirk out of the blue. "What? Are you kidding? I don't let anyone roll over me." "N-no!" I just blinked startled. This of course, meant that he was. But when he saw my reaction, he came to an unexpected halt. Instead of looking at me, he returned his gaze to the sky.

"The truth is, Sencha, that I was born an outcast. No mom or dad, I had no place in a family, and I soon learned that I had no place in society either…." His skinny hands dug into his pockets. "I tried to make one for myself, only to have it backfire in my face. So I stole to survive, and wound up in prison; even there I was never….. I've never really belonged anywhere before," his eyes lowered. "That's all. Being an outcast, seeing myself as one….. that's the only real way I know how to live. It's never been different for me."

Ban's P.O.V.-

I turned to face Sencha the moment I stopped talking. She just stared back at me with those endless blue eyes of her; and boy, were they wide. Realizing how alarmed she looked, I suddenly felt like I'd said too much. I kind of went off on a tangent there; I've never said any of that out loud before. It just happened out of nowhere…. I was so at ease that I felt like I could… "Ban." My stomach nervously churned at the sound of my name falling from her lips. What happened next was astonishing to me.

She smiled; she smiled in the most pure, most kind, most hopeful and hopeless way. She was smiling at me, after all that…. "Thank you." "F-for what?!" I perked up dumbfounded. "I wanted to know more about your past, but I didn't want to ask. I wanted to wait for you to talk to me." "Y-yeah well, I didn't mean to," my hand rubbed the back of my head awkwardly. I could swear my cheeks were burning. "It just sorta happened…." "I'm happy it did." "Oh yeah? Happy how?" "I'm glad you feel like you feel like you can open up to me," she grinned. Her grin…. "Uh huh, and your tellin' me that makes you happy?" "Oh, very much so," she answered sincerely. "I feel like I can trust you, Ban." "Huh…." I was not expecting that; not at all. "Thanks… I guess, I trust you too," I never really thought about it before but yeah- I did. And I didn't even try; that also just sorta happened.

Sencha walked out in front of me. Some of the blossoms in the trees were falling in the gentle breeze, making the whole scene rather picturesque. I merely watched her from where I was still standing. "I'm happy to hear that, Ban; super happy." After gawking at the princess for a second, I cracked a smirk. I wasn't used to conversations being this serious. "You make it sound like I'm here for your amusement." Her smile grew, again to my surprise. "I am happy you are here, Ban. It's so nice not to be alone." She continued to walk forward, with me still watching from behind.

It's true, my eyes lowered onto the back of Sencha softly. She's not alone anymore, and the same goes for me. I'm not alone, am I….. My chest suddenly felt all light and pleasant. Still watching her with the blossoms falling all around us, I slowly started to walk in her direction. Somehow, without my ever noticing it, it felt so natural, having Sencha near.


	15. Fog

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

I was practically hacking up a lung with how much I was coughing. Ban knelt beside me, gently rubbing my back. "Here, drink some water," he handed me a leaf cup with his free hand. I took it and drank down what I could, though I coughed most of it up. Ban wore this look for real concern. "There has to be something I can do. Just tell me what to do; I'll do anything, name it." "You can't…." I heaved. "You can't help; no one can….." "There must be something I can do," he insisted. "It's not like that, Ban. This isn't like a cold; it won't just go away. My body… is just weaker now, that's all." "But you're in pain." "It doesn't hurt so much anymore," I countered with a small grin. "Please, Ban; I'm sorry, but there's nothing anyone can do. If you wanna help, just support me." "Silly," his hand ran along my back in a tender fashion. "I already support you." "I know."

The bandit eyed me for another moment, then stood up. "You alright now?" "Yes, thank you for your help, Ban." "Anytime!" His arms stretched high in the air. "But Sencha…" His voice was suddenly surprisingly stern. "Yes?" "You would tell me if there was something I could do, right?" "Yes," I didn't even have to think about it. "And I did; just be near me when I cough… it does help, even if it doesn't seem that way." I couldn't help but notice how red Ban's cheeks got.

Feeling embarrassed I'm sure, Ban coughed and turned out to face the forest; his cheeks still burned. "What's with all this fog?" The forest floor was covered with a steady stream of thick white. "It's the Fog of Distraction," I explained after wiping my mouth. "Fog of Distraction?" He gazed back at me with a raised eyebrow. "That's what I call it anyways; I don't know if it has a real name." "Why do you call it that?" "Because it's no ordinary fog. It's an ancient spell that was casted by a former guardian to protect Fountain of Youth. Anyone who enters it will get distracted, usually by re-living a bad memory, from their end goal; presumably the potion." "Huh," he peered back down curiously. "Is that why we're stuck up here all day?" We were currently on top of the main tree. "Just until the fog dissipates; it usually does by nightfall."

"Ah man!" The bandit's hands tossed up into the air. "What are we supposed to do up here all day?" "Well, we could trade stories, or discuss philosophy, or dance?" I playfully stood up to give a twirl. Ban smiled but shook his head. "Sorry, princess, but I don't dance." "You mean you'll never dance with me?" I didn't realize the implications of what I just asked. He laughed. "I'll dance with you when it's so dark no one can see me trip up. I have two left feet." This made me also laugh. Him- who was such an accomplished bandit, tree climber, and much more- considered himself clumsy. That was humorous in itself, particularly because I knew it wasn't true. But I decided to play along. "Alright, I won't ask you to dance unless its dark out." "Yeah, but I'll still step on your toes." "Then we'll dance in the air."


	16. Dancing

Ban's P.O.V.-

We spent the whole day talking about everything under the sun that day. By the time the fog cleared up, we were both ready for bed. As usual, Sencha slept on the grass next to the potion's pond while I crashed somewhere nearby. One thing I will say about this place is that I sure slept great here. Maybe it was the forest air or the quiet. Or maybe it was…. I did feel particularly good when I heard Sencha move and sigh in her sleep. To hear that she was so close by and safe… that really helped me sleep well. I certainly noticed when that wasn't the case. I have no idea how I knew but somehow, I just knew when she wasn't there. Something didn't feel right; seemed off…

I woke up with that same feeling in the middle of the night. With a yawn, I rolled over to my side on the branch I was laying on. A surge of panic suddenly coiled my chest when I saw that Sencha was nowhere to be seen. Where is she? I immediately sat up with this sinking feeling in my stomach. It was nighttime, and I had no clue where Sencha was. That thought made me get to my feet and I climbed down the tree to go find her. I wasn't even mad; I just wanted to find her, see her…. know that she was safe.

I walked for some ways with no sign of the fairy princess. But a while away, one of the pixies we helped earlier caught sight of me. She- or he, it was hard to tell- flew over to me and tugged on my sleeve. She/he motioned for me to follow, as it led me down a flowery path. It brought me to a private inlet I'd never been to before. Vines and flowers hung everywhere, and the place was lit up with green fireflies. It was… magical; that's the only way I can think to describe it. The pixy let go of me and I wandered forward, gazing around in an almost awe. Then, when I turned my head forward, my heart leapt from my chest; my throat turned to cotton. I felt every inch, every cell of my body quake. There she was…. She was right in front of me, Sencha. Sencha….

She hadn't yet noticed me standing there. Instead, Sencha was watching some fireflies gently float all around her. Her hair was loose with flowers scattered in it everywhere. Her dress was made of the sweetest smelling white blossoms, reaching all the way down to her ankles. Her expression was… deep and awe-inspiring. I stood there in awe myself, for she- right here and now- was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. She was gorgeous, lovely; I'd say she even had this heavenly glow about her. Everything about her was wonderful and enchanting- I was enchanted. This woman, this angel captivated me body and soul. She was enchanting…. Spell-binding. And I knew in that moment, after seeing this, that I would never, ever be the same again. I changed; in those few precious seconds, I changed.

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

I had been careful not to wake Ban up when I got up earlier. He was sleeping like a rock, so I thought I might sneak off for a while to think. So much has happened since he arrived; my head felt like it was in a constant whirl. Ban was like Socrates; when he spoke to me, looked at me, I knew he cared. But unlike Socrates, he made me feel all flustered yet intently calm at once. I wanted to be near him but admittedly, I was afraid of getting attached. _"I know you will never love another….." "No. Not after him; I can't… I can't suffer like that again; I won't."_ What I said to my brother that day was true. I never planned on having feelings for another…. And yet, somehow without my realizing it, there he was. He was so easy to….

My eyes slowly gazed over in that very instant to see Ban standing there, watching me. He had this sort of enlightened expression, like he had just realized something important; understood something very vital and very precious…. There, in my secret grove, we stood; the two of us staring speechlessly at each other. My eyes softly lowered on to his. I never planned to care for another but somehow, without consciousness I did. He made it so easy to be near him, to smile at him… My mouth opened a tad, but no words came out; what was there to say? Yes, the pain was still there but he helped numb it. He did something wonderful for me…. to me.

Without words, like a scene out of a fairy tale book, my hand rose up to him. I don't know where these feelings came from, but I wanted him to be closer; I wanted him to be close to me. He didn't hesitate to reach out and take my hand, giving it a little squeeze. Walking over to me, we stared intently into each other's eyes, not breaking our gaze for a moment. We stayed like that for a minute or so, yet it felt like an eternity. Neither of us said anything; all communication was done through the eyes. His asked me if I'd like to dance. It was dark enough and he was ready now. My lips curled into a gentle smile, saying: yes.

Ban's hand wrapped around my waist while he softly rose our hands up into the air. We weren't doing any particular style of dance, just going in circles. Fireflies flew all around us like little candles. Remembering what I said earlier, after a minute or so I used my magic to gently elevate us off the ground. Ban seemed surprised at first, looking down at our feet. Then he looked back up at me and smiled; a real, honest smile. I felt his grip on my waist tighten. Ban… I stared up into his eyes; his beautiful red eyes. We got so high that we were barely above the treetops. It was much lighter up here with the gigantic moon shining in the background.

We paused in the moon's reflection to simply stare at one another. My lips parted slightly while his wore the tenderest of smiles. This was magic…. A new kind of magic; one I'd never experienced before. The kind of magic of him not wanting me to see him when he watches me at the main tree. Of him constantly giving me something beautiful, expecting nothing in return. Ban was good; I was right. I knew I was right. Only someone truly good could make magic like this. He trusted me… and yet…. The memory of me drinking three cups of hemlock raced through my mind. This magic came from him, not me. I also wasn't lying when I said I wasn't a good person. I had to tell him, even though I knew it would hurt him. I gave his hand a squeeze; he looked breath-taking in the moonlight. I can't get attached to him…. I had to remind myself, almost shattering the majesty of the scene. Because I don't know how he'll react when I tell him that I'm slowly, slowly dying.


	17. Fight

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

Ban was leading me down a cave he found that day we separated to find the monster. I didn't know about this place and probably wouldn't have gone inside alone anyways. Ban seemed super excited to show me, gently tugging me along and helping me maneuver my way around. When we reached a rocky slope, he went down first and turned to hold out his arms. "Ok, come on down, Sencha." "Uh…." I was a little leery; the rocks were moist, and it was rather steep. But the bandit just grinned. "Don't worry, I'll catch you. I won't let you fall." "Y-you sure?" "Would I lie to you?" Good point.

Taking in a deep breath, my feet shifted down the rocks, stumbling faster and faster as I neared the bottom. As promised, Ban caught me in his arms, immediately stopping my fall. I paused for a second as he held me like that, blinking up to him with pink cheeks. We stayed like that until he chuckled and retracted his arms. Then his hand took hold of mine. "We're almost there. Hold onto my hand until we reach it." "O-ok!" I didn't know what else to say to this. I simply let the man guide me further into the cave. The tight tunnel ended in a kind of dome at the center of the cave. Countless gems and jewels were scattered all around, going up and down the cave walls. The roof was super high, taller than any man-made ceiling I'd ever seen.

"Wow!" I gasped as we stood at the entrance. I was so busy ogling the magical place that I didn't notice Ban looking at me right away. I blinked to him and he instantly turned away, embarrassed to be caught watching me, again. A sudden pain gripped my chest at this. It was clear that he was growing attached, just like I was hoping not to… but it was no use. I was helpless- and hopeless- when it came to him. That's why I felt compelled to be honest. He trusted me, and I didn't want to break that trust.

Ban went further inside, stretching his hands high above him and gazing at the top of the cave. "Isn't this place cool, Sencha? I'd never seen anything like it before." "Me either," but I wasn't looking at the cave. Then I slowly made my way over to a flat dry rock I could sit on. Remembering suddenly zapped all energy I had, leaving me feeling quite drained already. He didn't appear to be in the same condition, enthusiastically jumping about and exploring. I waited for a while before calling him over. Let him have his fun while he can, I reasoned.

"Sencha, come take a look at this!" "In a moment. I….. I have to tell you something." Blinking over to me, Ban could instantly read my face. The mood effectively changed after he saw me. "What is it?" He slowly, almost hesitantly approached me. "Is something wrong? Are you in pain?" Yes, I answered inwardly. I had to take a few much-needed breaths before beginning; this was going to be painful to talk about, very painful. "Ban, you know that Socrates was my teacher. He raised me for six years….." "Six years? But you said you were gone for seven." "That's true, I was. They….. they executed Socrates on the sixth year." "Sencha," his eyes grew wide. "I was there…. in Athens when they passed the sentence. Socrates forbade me from attending the trail, so I obeyed. The next time I saw him, he was chained up in a prison cell." "Wait…" Ban's voice sounded terrified. "Don't tell me you were there when they killed them?"

My head gently shook. "No, I couldn't see that, and he didn't want me too. I thought… I thought I could deal…." Pain surged through me like a sickness, my voice caught in my throat for a moment. "But it didn't matter in the end. I didn't see him die but I saw his body, his distorted, mangled, blue body… Hemlock utterly destroyed him." Ban didn't say anything as my eyes narrowed slightly. "I couldn't….. I realized I couldn't live in a world so cruel and unfair. To continue living when someone so innocent and perfect was so brutally removed….. He did nothing; he was innocent, and they knew it. But they killed him anyways…. And I had to live with that; to know and carry that forever," my hands began to tremble. This was beyond painful to remember, never mind talk about. But I kept going; I had to.

"I'm not strong or good….. I'm selfish; so selfish…. I refused to live in a world that would treat someone I adored so much….." I took in a very deep breath, trying to steady myself. "So, I…. I drank three cups of hemlock. I wanted to suffer the way Socrates suffered, to unite with him again…." "Three cups?" Ban sounded like he was thinking about what I just said. His eyes grew larger than I'd ever seen them at the sudden revelation. "Isn't hemlock poisonous!? And you drank three cups…?" Gazing up to him with almost blank eyes, I slowly nodded. I told my brother, now it was time to tell him. I opened my mouth and then said: Ban, I'm sick… and I'm not going to get better.

The bandit merely stared speechlessly at me for a long while; he didn't move or say anything. He didn't react right away. Just looked at me in complete disbelief. When he finally did react, it was not one I was expecting. His hands drew into fists as a wave of contorted rage rolled over his face; he looked like he was trying to control it with all his might. "Are you telling me you tried to kill yourself?" He growled through his clenched jaw in a low, low voice. I nodded quietly. "And you succeeded; you're dying now, aren't you?" "Slowly," I sighed. "It won't be for years, but I won't live to an old age, especially for a fairy. My body is very slowly… deteriorating; the hemlock will always be in my system."

Now Ban didn't bother to hide his fury. Instead of speaking, I watched stunned as he suddenly went to smash some nearby rocks. He broke them into pebbles with his bare hands. This show of strength both shocked and alarmed me. I knew he was strong, but I didn't know it was anything like this. After pounding around for a couple of minutes, he shot me a glare. He angrily marched over to tower over me, firmly placing his hands on his hips. "That's why you're sick! You're dying; your body's shutting down! I watched all this time with no idea? Why did you wait this long to tell me?!"

I blinked up at him in mild shock. "I… I didn't think it…." "You didn't think it mattered? You didn't think I'd care?!" "No! It's because…. I thought you would…." He glared down at me for a ripe minute; I could practically feel the fumes radiating off him. "You're right; you are selfish. Selfish and stupid! How stupid are you?! You think this is what Socrates would have wanted? For you, his precious student, to kill yourself because he died?" That… hurt. A lot. I couldn't even look him in the eye right then; that was too much…. Partly because I knew he was right. But Ban didn't stop there.

"How could do this? How could you willingly take yourself away from…..? What about the fairy kingdom? What about your brother? What about me?!" "Ban, I…" "No! No, I don't want to hear it! You've said enough," he took in a deep breath. "Look, I get you were grieving; I've been there, but to drink three cups….. How do you expect me to live with that now, huh?! You thought I'd just get over it? The fact that you're fading right in front of me? You expect me just to stand by and watch? Especially when you did this to yourself?! How am I supposed to forgive that?!" His voice rang through the cave and my ears. "Sinensis!" "I know, Ban, I know… and you have every right to be mad." "Oh! Mad doesn't even begin to describe…." He let out a low growl, still raving down at me.

Then, without forewarning, Ban spun around and started walking- or rather stomping- away. "Wait, where are you going?" I called out alarmed. "To get some air, alone!" "But Ban, I…." I immediately jumped to my feet. I was about to follow until a sharp glare over his shoulder stopped me in my tracks. "You stay! I need to be alone right now." "But I…." "Alone! I need to clear my head," then he disappeared into the darkness. I stood there with tears swelling up in the corners of my eyes, staring off into the direction he vanished. "Ban….." And I wasn't sure in that moment if I'd ever see him again.


	18. Memory

Ban's P.O.V.-

My feet stomped angrily on the forest floor. I wasn't just angry; I was straight up livid. I tried so hard to get the Fountain of Youth, searching for immorality. And here she was, willing to throw her life away like that. It made sense now; the reason she asked me to kill her that day we met. That's why she was put on trial, for drinking three cups of hemlock; three damn cups! That stupid, stupid, selfish girl! What was I supposed to do now? Just stick around and watch her slowly die in front of me? She said it'd take years but that almost makes it worse. By then, I'd be….. we'd be…. how was I supposed to lose her then? I already felt attached…. too attached. I paused for a second to reach up to grab hold of my chest; my fingers tightly clung to my shirt. What was I supposed to do now? What now? Should I leave? My eyes unconsciously grew in horror at the very thought. Leave Sencha…..? Somehow, I had no idea why, but somehow that felt impossible. The image of her sitting by the pool zoomed through my mind. No, I don't think I could leave even if I wanted to….. my body wouldn't let me.

But I was still furious; it felt like stem was coming off of me. I didn't go back to the cave, electing instead to go to the main tree. Laying on its top, I stared up at the sky with my hands resting behind my head. It'd been a while now and no sign of the princess. Maybe its best this way though; I needed some time to clear my head. My eyes gently closed. To think….. Without realizing it, I had slipped out of conscious into a deep, deep slumber. I guess I was tired; really tired.

 _I was being shaken- violently. Zhivago was supposed to be here by now. Damn it! Where is he?! "Ban!" I suddenly heard him call my name. Him, my mentor; the one person I trusted. "Hey!" Another voice from the other side of the stone brick wall cried out. "I hear a werefox couple were spotted up in the mountains." Zhivago was no longer looking at me but at them now; I noticed this._

" _To the mountains! Hunt it down!" Zhivago! Help me! My teeth clenched. Please help me! "It's Selion!" He whispered to myself. Damn it all! Why wasn't he looking at me?! By the time he did, I received a sharp kick to the face, followed by another. I think these guys were trying to kill me. Please! Please Zhivago, help! My jaw clenched tighter._

 _But, he didn't. With a strained look on his face, his transformed into a werefox up on the wall. Then, gazing down at me with tears in his eyes, he said: I'm sorry, Ban. Within seconds, he took off. "I'm so sorry!" I felt something touch my heart in that moment as all hope seemed to disappear around me. It was pain, agony….. And I realized as the men hit me again, that I was likely going to lose him. He left me…. for good._

" _I'm sorry." No…. "I'm sorry." Don't say that. "I'm so sorry." I don't wanna hear it! "I'm sorry, Ban." I don't care if you're sorry! You bloody well left me! You abandoned me! You! The only one I trusted; the first person I learned to trust. How do you expect me to forgive you, huh? You're sorry? Sorry; sorry for what? Leaving me behind to die? Betraying me trust? No! If you were really sorry, you wouldn't have left me. You left me, Zhivago! What am I supposed to do now? What did you think I would do? How did you think I would survive?_

" _I'm sorry, Socrates." That voice just now…. wait, that wasn't Zhivago….._

My eyes fluttered open at the sound of someone- or rather something- making its way up the side of the tree. It wasn't Sencha; she'd just fly up. It sounded like a couple of guys; I wasn't sure if they were human or not. "Are you sure it's up here?" "Yeah! It's supposed to be at the top of the tallest and widest tree, remember?" "But what about the guardian?" "What about her? We'll just…." I gazed over to see two troll-like creatures arrive. They looked surprised to see me but quickly shifted their attention to the Fountain of Youth.

"Looking for something?" My tone wasn't the friendliest at the moment. "Yeah," one wiped some drool off his lip. These guys…. "Look, Grug! There it is!" The other pointed at the goblet with his fat finger overexcitedly. Grug's gaze moved from it over to me. "Where's the girl?" By girl, I assumed they meant Sencha. Like I was going to tell either of them. "She's preoccupied at the moment," I sat up to eye them suspiciously. To my alarm, they seemed a little too pleased by this respond, grinning at each other. "She must be in the forest." "Good! That ancient demon will eat her instead of us." Ancient demon? This made me perk up. "Let's the elixir and get out of here before he finds us too." "What ancient demon?" I didn't hesitate to ask. They looked back to me in surprise. Why should this surprise them?

"You don't know? Someone must have been lurking around Chanda's cave," Grug's finger stuck out to the canopy below. A cave!? My eyes widened in horrific realization. "He's an ancient forest demon who wakes every couple hundred years to feed, or whenever someone enters his lair." "He's the only thing us trolls are afraid of in the place," the other boasted, if this could count as a boast. But I didn't have time to think about that now. I found myself left with a choice, let these guys live and risk them drinking the potion, or killing them and finding Sencha as fast as possible. "Hey! Where did all this fog come from?" That was the last thing Grug's companion said. Opting for the latter, I made sure to toss both their bodies over the side of the tree before jumping down. But to my utter horror, he was right. The forest floor was now covered in the Fog of Distraction.

"Sencha?! Sencha, where are you?!" Trying to find my way through that damn fog was impossible. It was so thick and white that I could barely see where I was going. Everything around me became a blur, like being in a blizzard or something. "Ugh! This fog!" I huffed still pressing forward. "Sencha!" I had to keep moving; I had to… It was my fault that we went into the cave in the first place. Sencha would never go in there by herself; she's too cautious. And smart. Man, how dumb was I? And I left her alone in there too…. "Sencha!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as my feet started to run.

All the while, it never occurred to me that this particular fog was the "Fog of Distraction". It seemed like ordinary fog to me at first. Things started to seem off however when the ground beneath my feet got hard; like stone hard. Coming to a pause to glance down, I was beyond surprised to see yellow brick cobblestones on the forest floor. "What the….?" They clearly weren't part of the forest; they were man-made.

When I gazed back up, I saw some of the fog ahead of me starting to dissipate. But it didn't reveal the forest. Instead, I found myself facing what appeared to be a Malagian city. Obviously I had no idea what was going on. Seeing no other way to go, I slowly made my forward. The closer I got, the more the city materialized around me. The buildings were yellow and white stone squares with doors carved in front. I'd seen similar houses in Thebes. About ten steps in, the city had appeared all in front of me. Glancing around, I saw a gigantic marble edifice at the top of the city's central mountain. Wait, I know that fixture… Isn't that Athens' pavilion?

Turning my attention back in front of me, I found myself standing in front of a doorway. The door was constructed out of metal bars with gaps in between them but it was left open for some reason. I don't know why but I felt compelled to go inside. Upon entering, I quickly realizing that this was a prison. A prison in Athens, I pondered as I walked through the place.

My feet came to a sudden halt at the sight of a long, pink haired girl inside one of the cells. Its door was also open and inside was only one massive table. I recognized that it was Sencha right away, only she was wearing a white toga. And instead of acknowledging my arrival, her eyes were glued down onto something laying on the table. "Sencha?" I asked out loud, knowing it wouldn't do any good. This clearly was an illusion…. Or, I then hesitantly peered down at the table. A memory…. But not one of mine.

I felt sick when I saw what was on the table for the first time. A body laid on it, covered with a thin white cloth. You didn't have to be a genius to realize that it was Socrates. I'd killed lots of people before and seen my fair share of dead bodies. But this… this literally disgusted me. And it wasn't even the corpus that did it; it was the fact that Sencha was seeing the same thing I was. She saw him…. She saw his dead body. Sencha, my eyes slowly rolled back over onto her.

Standing there beside the table, the fairy princess merely stared down at the body with wide eyes. But there was no joy, no fear, no nothing; nothing other than pure suffering. She looked physically numb, too shocked to even tremble. She almost looked like a corpus herself; a husk…. Seeing this, seeing her like this…. That was another brand-new kind of pain to me; something I'd never experienced before. It felt like black, just blackness; something that hurt so much that I could only describe it as a color. Sencha…..

" _You're right; you are selfish."_ Sencha… _"Selfish and stupid!"_ Oh Sencha…. _"How stupid are you?!"_ I am sorry. _"You think this is what Socrates would have wanted?"_ I watched her with tears coming to the corners of my eyes. I am so sorry… Every bone in my body felt like they were beginning to break as her pale hand reached up to touch the edge of the table. Her lips parted slightly as tears rolled down her cheeks. This was the most painful thing I'd ever seen. My eyes slowly started to move back to the dead figure. _"For you, his precious student, to kill yourself because he died?"_ Black, nothing but black. I understood you now, Sencha; I could see why you would want to escape this pain. And you did somewhat… much, much later. But…

I winced my eyes shut as I had to swallow down the excess agony swelling up inside of me. You saw him… you saw him, and you carried this memory around with you all this time. You just wanted an escape; you wanted to be with your beloved Socrates again. You….. you loved him so much! And I called you stupid and selfish for what you did. I'm sorry! I left you all alone! My jaw clenched tightly. I'm so sorry! When my eyes finally reopened, I was surprised to find myself standing back in the middle of the forest again. 


	19. Close

Ban's P.O.V.-

I ached everywhere. The fog cleared up out of nowhere; my suspicion was that it came to protect the elixir from those two goons. I didn't recognize where I was by the time it vanished, but I kept on going. My legs were moving on muscle memory. With a blank head- I was too afraid to think because all thoughts went straight to Sencha and the danger she was in- I reached the cave's entrance in minutes.

I didn't hesitate to zoom inside. "Sencha? Sencha!" My voice echoed all throughout the interior. My heart dropped out of my chest when there was no reply. Was she…? She couldn't already be, could she….? The very thought made me run faster. I had to find her! Her or the demon, before he found her first. The familiar dome ceiling appeared in sight; that the first wave of relief I had since I left the main treetop. But that relief was short-lived when to my horror, Sencha was nowhere to be seen. "Sencha! Sencha!" I hollered over and over running around in a panic. Oh my god! Where is she?! Why isn't she here? Where else could she be?!

Every part of me froze at an unexpected sound. It wasn't Sencha; I knew that immediately. It was a low grunt; a growl, like I had disturbed something from its slumber….. or feeding. I spun around to see nothing at first. But another growl echoed through the dome, catching my attention. It came from the corner; a very dark corner. Nothing happened right away but seconds later, something grunted again and started to move- or slither- in the darkness. If it had been any other situation, I would have been at least a little scared, but the notion of fear never crossed my mind. I knew right away that this was the demon those trolls mentioned earlier. He didn't charge at me, rather just slithered through the shadows.

"It's you!" Though he wouldn't know how I'd know him. "Come out!" My nunchaku was instantly in my hand as I shifted into a defensive stance. The creature grunted again and eventually came out into the light. His head was a skull of what I assumed to be a demon, complete with glowing red eyes. His body was sheer black; I couldn't tell if he had limbs or not. He didn't look at me in a menacing fashion. Rather, he just… looked at me. I couldn't tell if he had seen Sencha or knew where she was, but that was about to change. "Where is she?!" I demanded as loudly as possible.

To my surprise, Chanda didn't react immediately; merely continued to stare at me with a non-threating gaze. "You're Ban, the bandit," he finally spoke. His voice was deep and echoic. I felt my spine instinctively stiffen. "What's it to ya?" I asked without a hint of nervousness. The demon didn't laugh or growl, just continued moving to the side where some flat rocks were. "I see, so you've been staying with the princess all this time, have you?" I… I don't know how he knew that. Could Sencha have told him? No, she'd never reveal something like that. I had no clue who or what this thing was, but he was magical…. and powerful. I knew that just by looking at him- I knew.

"I was hoping to have a fine meal when next I woke," Chanda continued to speak, gazing down at a cup of tea in his hand. Wait, where did that come from? And he had a hand? How'd he get tea in here? But that seemed of little importance at the moment. "But her body is tainted with poison, though not to me. Its slowly rotting her insides is all; not good for eating." "Where is she?" My voice was low and threatening, readying my weapon in my hand. I was prepared to kill this creep. If he hadn't found Sencha already then, I better off him while I can. But, as if to be reading my mind, his red eyes peered over at me and he chuckled- or what could be considered a chuckle from something like him.

"No use. I have no heart for you to snatch, boy." How did he….? Who was this thing?! I stared wide-eyed and dumbfounded. An uneasiness started to radiate in my chest. Where is she? That idea echoed repeated in the back of my mind. Where the hell is she?! "You look scared, boy," he said in his deep, demonic voice. "Are you worried for the princess?" Something about that made me snap. He's playing with me; he knew I came here for Sencha and this sounded like it amused him. Screw this guy! My jaw clenched while my hands drew into angry fists. "Where is she?!" My voice boomed louder than I thought it could. "You are worried," he meanwhile sounded frustratingly calm. "I swear, I will kill you if you touch her!" This threat made him gaze over at me, but he didn't act threatened. Everything about creature pissed me off; he was way too calm for the situation. I, on the other hand, felt my nerve beginning to crumble.

We looked at each other for a second until Chanda motioned for me to come forward. "Come." Of course I didn't. "Come sit," he said softer this time. "I will not eat you." "It's not me I'm worried about," I hissed angrily. "I didn't devour the girl." "Then where is she?" He didn't answer, motioning to the rock beside him. "I will tell you after we have a little talk." "Screw this! I don't wanna talk to you; I going to find Sencha!" "You will not find her unless you talk to me." This caught my full attention as I blinked at him wide-eyed. He merely stared back at me. "You woke me up. The least you could do is humor me."

He knows…. I slowly began to realize. He knows where she is and likely has put her there. I didn't want to but weighing the options, it seemed best to do as he says; for now. With the stiffest expression, I made my way over to sit on the flat rock opposite the demon. Once I was seated, he handed me the cup of tea. "Thirsty?" "No," my frown grew. Chanda chuckled slightly, setting the cup down in front of me within arm's reach. "It's not poisonous; well it won't kill you anyway." "I don't trust you," my arms folded defiantly. "I don't blame you. I devour your kind by the hundreds; fairies too. But the years have made me slow and tired." I didn't care about his life story; I honestly didn't know why he wanted to talk to me in the first place.

"Do you know, it's been a couple hundred of years since I've spoken to anyone." "Probably because you eat everyone." Chanda chuckled again; I think I assumed him in some sick twisted way. "Your sharpness cannot hide your pain; not from me. I'm too old for that. I see you, just like I saw her; both of you are suffering. Although, while hers is near its end, yours is just beginning." "What are you talking about?" I didn't understand what he was referring to. He scratched his bony chin for a moment as if to be thinking.

"You want the princess back, I assume." "Yes! Of course!" "And you will not drink the tea I had offered you?" "What does that have to do with anything?!" I demanded furiously. "I see…." His giant, repulsive head merely nodded. "Then I will offer you something else for waking me up and depriving me of a meal- a curse." "What?!" I stood up in a panic. "You have two choices. You and the princess can either be parted now and spend an eternity together later; or be parted forever if one of you dies in the forest." "Be parted….? Are you saying that Sencha will die now if I pick the first one?!" He nodded; a sinister nod this time. "Why…. why?" I suddenly understood how powerful this thing was and he clearly wasn't afraid to exercise his power. All bravery I ran into the cave with had disappeared and I just stared…. stared in disbelief and terror. "Because you woke me," his response was swift and simple.

Then I started contemplating my options; two to be exact. Either Sencha dies right now or lives but…. we'd be parted forever if either of us dies in the woods. That didn't seem too unreasonable to me, although in reality, it was insanely unreasonable. But I didn't even have to think about it anymore; it was no question which one I'd pick. I looked at the demon with a resolute face. "I want Sencha back and I want her back alive, now!"

This didn't surprise Chanda, who simply scratched his bone chin again. "Mortals… so foolish." He said more to himself than me. I think my choice didn't shock him, but he seemed to think it was the wrong one, though I knew it wasn't. I physically flinched, moving backwards a little when he suddenly stood up. "You have not known suffering yet, Ban, but you will. You will know the blackness Sinensis felt that day Socrates died." I watched dumbfounded as he then bent down to take the cup of tea. With one side look at me, he poured the tea down onto the ground and tossed the empty cup; it evaporated midair. I didn't understand why he'd do such a thing and wasn't about to ask. I sat there wordlessly. Chanda gave me one last glare; an intense, serious, severe glare. "You made the wrong choice." And with that, he turned to wander back into the darkness, never to be seen again.

I didn't move for a second until I suddenly stood up, ready to bolt after him. I got maybe five feet before something coughed behind me. I recognized that cough; I'd heard it so many times. Immediately spinning around, my eyes widened to see Sencha laying on the ground. She was in the exact same place where Chanda poured the tea. Seeing her there like that, it hit me like a title wave. That monster didn't want to eat her flesh, so he turned her into tea…. He actually transformed Sencha into tea….. Tea that he offered me to drink… He wanted me to drink her; to watch me consume her….

I couldn't breathe at that moment; I couldn't even think. My body felt both numb and overstimulated. Everything hurt, yet I was flooded with pure relief. I was so still that Sencha had enough time to regain consciousness. In about ten seconds, she coughed a few more times, opened her beautiful blue eyes, and peered over at me. "B-Ban…?" My arms took on a life of their own without my brain's permission. In that minute, I lunged at her wrapping both my arms tightly around her upper body. Sencha….. A hiccup rolled up my throat. Sencha…. Sencha!

My arms reluctantly loosened on her as she began to wiggle a little. "W-what happened?" She sounded super groggy. "Are you alright?!" Regaining my ability to speak, my voice was much louder than I anticipated. "Did he touch you? Does it hurt anywhere?!" "Ugh…" Her lips gave a little moan. "What did he do to you, Sencha? You have to tell me!" "Who… did what?" She gazed back up at me confused. I was about to press the issue further but quickly realized that she probably didn't remember. He must have cast the spell on her when she wasn't looking or something. For some reason that didn't make me feel any better. I just held her close to me.

"B-Ban, w-where are we? Are we still in the cave….?" Sencha's voice was low and weak. "Y-yeah, we're still in the cave," I tried to sound as stable as possible, which was a lot harder to do than I thought. I was still trembling uncontrollably on the inside. "Did you….. you come back?" "What? Of course I came back! I couldn't let…." But I had to stop myself; this was not the time or place to tell her about Chanda or her transformation. That would wait…. for a very, very long time. Her eyes just lowered softly a bit. "So you're… not mad at me?" "Mad at you?!" I literally gasped. "Why would I be…..?"

Oh right! That "conversation" we had back here….. My grip tightened around her warm, warm body. I'd forgotten all about that fight. "No," my lower lip quivered. "No, I'm not mad…." "I'm s-sorry, Ban….." "Stop it! Don't apologize!" There's nothing to apologize for! I was wrong… I'd never been more wrong in my life. This woman… this warm angel; even in a dark, bleak cave such as this, she still warmed me. After all that….

Every muscle tensed as Sencha started to move again. "No, don't move! Just stay still, I'll carry you," I immediately instructed. "H-huh?" She blinked up at me with slight confusion; there was still wariness in her blue eyes. But I wasn't going to carry her just for her sake…. My body didn't untense as I lifted her into a bridal-position in my arms. "I-it's ok, Ban….. I can….. I can walk," she whispered, clearly tired. Her eyes were starting to shut again as she said this. "No, let me carry you," I begged. It wasn't just for her… I just wanted her to be close to me; as close as possible. For a little while, or a long while, I needed us to stay like this. The sensation of her breathing, the warmth of her body against mine, the scent of her hair…. All these little perfections seemed so much more intense now. Maybe because I almost lost them…. I almost lost her. I held Sencha as near to me as was humanly possible. Yes, I needed to be close to her… It wasn't even a want at this point, it was a need for me now.


	20. Foreboding

Ban's P.O.V.-

 _Sencha was lying unconscious in the dome of Chanda's cave. Something lurked nearby in the shadows, watching her intently like a predator eyeing its prey. Chanda slowly, silently slithered out from the dark edge, inching closer and closer to her. When he was close enough, his dim body towered over hers. With piercing sharp eyes, the bone jaw cracked as it started to open. He leaned down towards her head with a wide, cracking, toothy mouth._

Half-screaming, my body jerked suddenly awake. I woke up in a cold sweat; while laying on my usual branch, I found myself facing up to the night sky. A dream… My hand rested softly onto my forehead. It was just a dream; more like a nightmare… But still feeling frightened, I immediately sat up at turned to where Sencha was sleeping. She was on the grass as per usual in her white flower nightgown. My mouth let out a gentle sigh. She's alright….

The urge to be near her filled me once again now that I was awake; I had a very hard time putting her down when we got home. Home…. As quietly as possible, I got down from my branch and crept across the tree's flat surface. I laid down on the grass beside her, pulling in my arms and watching her slumbering face. Nothing popped into my mind in that moment; I was just savouring the sensation of being so close to her. To know that she was here and safe… safe with me. Safe….

After a long pause, my hand tenderly reached up to rest on the side of Sencha's head. The warmth instantly spread up my hand and down my arm to the rest of my body. Yes, my eyes lowered onto her as we stayed like that. Yes, she was safe; you are safe here with me. My fingers caressed the skin enduringly. I'll never let anything like that ever happen to you again. Forget demons, I'll never let you out of my sight again! That felt right to me, like the right thing to do. She will be safe; I will keep her safe. I will do everything I can…..

For some reason, the memory of Chanda's curse unexpectedly popped into my head right then. His voice rang through me like a shiver. _"You and the princess can either be parted now and spend an eternity together later; or be parted forever if one of you dies in the forest."_ That's right; I chose the latter, didn't I? So if…. either Sencha or I die here, we'll be parted forever. An eternity without Sencha…. No! My eyes softened onto her sleeping face. I promised to keep her safe; I'm making that vow now. She will live, even if it's just long enough for her to escape the forest. She said she's got a couple of years left; that's still lots of time. At least enough for me to figure out a plan. There won't be a day I wouldn't be thinking of a solution. I'd find one, my thumb ran up and down the side of her cheek. I would definitely find one.

Sencha gave a little, adorable snore and I couldn't help but smile; a soft, silent smile. Just how long have I been here with her exactly? A month? A year? I'd lost track of time long ago. The days just seemed to blur together here with the princess. They'd never done that before; not even in prison. Maybe that's cause I was happy; for the first time in my life, I would say that I'm genuinely happy. But not because of the forest; this place was still cold and isolating as ever. No, it was solely thanks to her; this wonderful, enchanting, beautiful woman. Two outcasts trapped inside a vast, magical land where they are the only residents….

I used to think that my life would be a lonelier journey than I could even imagine. And I was content with that. After Zhivago…. I convinced myself that it was better to be alone, so no one could hurt you. But Sencha was different. She would never even dream of hurting me. Everything about her made me happy; her personality, her mannerisms, her eyes, her hair- everything. I spent so long pressing through the dark, empty void alone that I'd forgotten such wonderful people existed. It did feel natural, to have her near…. Whenever she's there and I can see her, it's a feeling so good and natural. It never occurred to me before we went into the cave that we may part ways, and sooner than expected. But no, no… that was not going to be a reality; that was not going to be my reality or hers. We should go further…. We can go further.

My hand pressed into the side of her head in the tenderest way imaginable. But still, a part of me wondered how far we could go….. It would be the most ironic thing if we lost each other, if I lost Sencha after all this joy…. after I learned what true happiness was; what it truly meant to live. _"You have not known suffering yet, Ban, but you will. You will know the blackness Sinensis felt that day Socrates died."_ My gaze lowered onto the sleeping girl seriously. I have to get Sencha out of here.


	21. Drowning

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

I had no memory of what happened in that cave and Ban refused to tell me anything. One moment I was kneeling on the rocky ground distressing over my fight with Ban…. And the next thing I knew, I woke up laying on the cave's floor with Ban frantically fretting over me. He did tell me about these two trolls that came looking for the Fountain of Youth but not to worry. "I took care of 'em," he smirked cockily. I was admittedly tired yesterday, but I felt perfectly fine today. But Ban…. I couldn't put my finger on it, but Ban seemed…. different. Not in a bad way! He just seemed to be much closer and more alert than before. It was like he was constantly thinking and afraid to be away from me. I didn't feel suffocated thought; I was just wondering what could have happened to make him so…. vigilant.

At the same time, Ban also seemed very happy and playful; he was like the strange mixture of worried and relieved. He gleefully hopped around some nearby branches while I brushed my hair. "You're gonna have to tell me what happened in the cave sometime." "Sometime, but you didn't say which time," he teased. I shot him a grin. "You're really not gonna tell me anything, are you?" "Ok, I'll tell you," he said jumping over to another branch. "It was dark, and we were in a cave!" I laughed at the dramatic way he said it. "I know that!" "Good! Then you know the story." "Oh, Ban," I sighed contently. This man….. this wonderful, wonderful man.

I was about to ask if he'd like to go for a bath when a sudden, unfamiliar voice came up from the forest floor. "Princess! Princess Sinensis!" Ban and I looked at each other, then he came down and we walked over to see the man. It was a fairy envoy from the Middle Kingdom. I know that crest, I thought gazing down at his shirt. "Princess!" His face lit up when he spotted us up above. I then noticed the letter he was waving back and forth in his hand. "I am his highness's, Prince Rido, royal envoy! I bring news from the capital city!" "Prince Rido?" My eyes grew. The powerful fairy prince from the neighbouring kingdom in the Middle Kingdom? The man my grandfather engaged me to back when I was six years old? A surge of panic erupted inside me, which Ban noticed.

"Lord Rido has sacked the royal capital; your grandfather, the king, has been disposed of!" The envoy didn't waste any time delivering the news. My eyes widened even more in shock. W-what? My kingdom, my family's kingdom has been invaded and overthrown? My lower lip started to quiver. What about my family? What about my kingdom? What about….? "My brother…" I heard myself say out loud. "My brother," I immediately started to panic at the thought of King. "Where's my brother!? Where's King?! What have you done with him?!" I surprised both Ban and the envoy with how loudly I was shouting. But I don't care; I was terrified for my brother's fate at the moment.

"Worry not, your highness! Lord King had his escape to the Middle Kingdom; he is safe, though the same cannot be said for your grandfather." I didn't wait for him to finish, as I let out the biggest sigh of relief. Oh, thank goodness! King's alright, even if he doesn't have a kingdom now. He's alive and that's good enough for me. Ban didn't look so sure though. The envoy continued, ignoring both our reactions.

"My lord summons you back to the capital city, your grace! The spell will be lifted if you agree." "Agree?" Ban's eyebrow rose suspiciously. "Agree to what?" "His majesty urges you to recall the arrangement your grandfather made; he wishes to continue with the marriage!" "Marriage?!" Both Ban and I gasped in unison. He still wants to marry me!? After taking my brother's future kingdom, he wants me to….? Is this guy insane?! "Prince Rido seeks your hand in marriage, princess Sinensis. You will become queen of your grandfather's kingdom and rule alongside our king." "N-no! No, absolutely not!" I said without hesitation. Realizing I needed an excuse to legitimize my position, I quickly thought as he stared up at me dumbfounded.

"I-I can't marry Lord Rido, for I'm…. I'm guarding the Fountain of Youth." Yeah, that would work. Even Ban didn't look convinced. "Erm, your highness….. that sentence was passed by your grandfather. And I am happy to inform you that Lord Rido is willing to pardon you! He will terminate the late king's sentence." The late king…. "Uh but…. I'm still being punished," I was pushing at straws now. Ban looked like he'd had enough and wanted to intervene, but I stopped him with a pleading glance. "I was the first royal in Malagian history put on trial…." "Lord Rido sees no reason to punish you any further; my lord forgives you. And since Socrates is dead, there is no risk of you running back to him."

My eyes grew as every inch of me felt like it froze. What did…. what did he just say? Seeing my expression, Ban frowned. "There is no reason for you to stay away, your grace," this guy just didn't know when to quit. "With Socrates gone, your dignity in the fairy court is restored." That did it. Without a word, I spun around and silently walked in the opposite direction. "Uh! Excuse me, your highness?" The envoy called confused. Ban watched me for a second before shooting him a monstrous glare. "Get out of here! Go! Leave now!" "But I…!" He sounded very affronted; this was likely the first time a human had ordered him to do anything. "Get out! While you still can!" Ban commanded in a rage. "You'll regret this! Lord Rido won't take no for an answer!"

I didn't see him run off and I wasn't listening any longer either. I was merely staring out at the endless canopy in front of me. Something started to grasp me, to cloud my vision; something I hadn't experienced in a long time. Black….. a blackness swelled over me. It was like drowning in a deep dark sea, though you knew you wouldn't die. Filling your lungs with dread and pain…. so much pain. The world around me started to grow deaf and colorless, disappearing in the darkness. This was physically painful but the worst kind; the kind that came from inside, where you couldn't escape it. I tried before…. and it didn't work. Now I was left drowning but not dying, suffering with no ending in sight. I knew Socrates was dead, my lips parted a little. I knew that better than anyone…. and it hurt me each time to think about it; to remember that day. His death brought no good to this world…. only black; endless, groundless black.

I was so physically blind to the world around me at the moment that I failed to notice Ban approach me from behind. I couldn't sense him standing there or watching me. But I did come back to our shared reality when two arms wrapped around me. Still standing behind me, Ban silently embraced me; I felt the side of his head rest against the back of mine. And he stayed like that; just like that- holding me in the most hopeful, most hopeless way. It was…. the most tender thing anyone had ever done for me. I suddenly felt safe and although it didn't erase the pain, it helped me to bear it.

I know it did because us like that- with him quietly holding me- I felt strong enough to cry. It happened without my realizing it. I continued to stare out into the forest as a tear rolled down my cheek. More quickly followed, though my eyes didn't budge from right out in front of me. I was frozen, still drowning in that sea of black. But Ban was slowly but surely pulling me back to shore. Without words, he was helping me; making it easier. I needed him at that moment; I needed him to hold me, to be near me. He couldn't take away all the pain and I'd never ask him to; I believe it would never completely go away. But…. the tears kept flowing down my cheeks. Socrates… Socrates…. My lips trembled uncontrollably. Socrates. After what felt like an eternity, I finally shut my moist eyes. The black would never truly go away, not until I was reunited with my beloved teacher. But Ban…. he kept me from drowning.


	22. Plan

Ban's P.O.V.-

I made sure Sencha was sound asleep before I made my move. She stirred a little but that was a good sign; she did that when she slept soundly. My eyes shifted from the princess to the elixir. This ends tonight, I sharpened my gaze onto it. Without hesitation I silently marched over to the Fountain of Youth. Grabbing the goblet, I stared down at the potion for a minute. Then it poured out of the cup onto the grass at my feet. There. No elixir, no reason for Sencha to stay in the forest. The goblet fell from my hand. We'll leave tomorrow, I decided.

But, to my horror, I spun around to find the same goblet I had just dropped floating midair; elixir flowed out of it just like before. What the…..?! Didn't I just…! The grass was dry and there was no sign that I poured it out at all. I don't… I don't get it! I just gawked at the potion in utter perplexity. Sencha never said that the fountain was self-preserving; maybe she didn't know. I certainly didn't. Maybe can only move if someone drinks it or the fairy king summons it….. Damn it! My eyes slowly rolled back over to the sleeping princess; she hadn't moved at all. Now what? What can I do? She can't leave….. No, I have to do something. She can't leave, but I can. I can go and find someone to take her place; I need King's help.

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

"Hey, I was thinkin'….." "Hmmmm?" I tended to my flower dress while Ban ate Linken berries behind me. "Now that the old man is dead, there's no reason for you to stay here anymore. And I think it's only fair…." "What's fair?" I blinked back to him puzzled. "Well, I came all this way for the Fountain of Youth; it took me four months to get here. And I don't intend on leaving empty-handed." "Ban!" My eyes grew. A playful yet sincere smirk crossed his lips. "Since I'm not stealing the potion, I've decided to steal you instead."

"Oh Ban!" I couldn't help but blush. I knew what he meant by this; he was getting ready to leave and wanted me to go with him. The very idea made me all pink and rosy inside. "Now let's get started," he said, spreading his arms out and walking towards me. I smiled, still blushing, and shook my head. "Believe me, Ban; I'd like nothing better than for you to heh, steal me. But…. I can't. I'm flattered!" My hand instantly rose so to not offend him. "But even though Grandfather is out of the picture, I can't leave the forest. So long as the Fountain of Youth is here, I'm under a spell that…. keeps me here too," my eyes lowered at the last part of my sentence. And I'm not powerful enough to reverse it; only Rido could…..

But this didn't seem to faze Ban at all, to my astonishment. He just relaxed his posture and shoved his hand back into his pockets. "Hey, don't worry; I've got that covered." He… he does?! This caught me by surprise; even I didn't have a plan B, or even A for that matter. "I can just go look for your brother and bring him back out here," he continued with a soft grin. I liked it so much when he smiled that way…. so gentle, and confident. "He's in the Middle Kingdom now, right? If he comes here to guard the fountain, then you'll be free and clear." I'm not sure that's how the spell worked but maybe since he was also a royal fairy… It couldn't hurt to try, only….

"Oh Ban; it's a good idea but I don't know if King will come. He was in line for the throne and…." "He will come," the bandit cut me off. "I told you, don't worry about it. I'll go find your brother and bring him back here." "And what if he doesn't want to come with you?" I countered. It was faint, but I could have sworn I saw Ban's face darken a tad. "Then I'll just have to have a talk with him." I don't know what that meant but I wasn't about to push it. I simply looked at me with bewildered eyes. His smile returned to his face in response to my dumbfounded expression. But it was me who spoke next.

"You'll…..you'll be gone for a long time," the aspect of time hit me; it felt sudden… and unexpected. "Just for a little while, and I'll come straight back; I promise." "Ban…." I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye at that moment. I immediately felt selfish; so selfish… "M-maybe you should stay…." So incredibly selfish. "I don't… know how much time I have left…."

As if to be dramatic as possible, I broke out in a coughing fit as soon as I finished talking. I didn't plan this and certainly wasn't expecting it. Ban was over by my side in the blink of an eye, gently rubbing my back and holding my free in his. He looked worried; very worried…. It didn't help either that my cough was getting worse. "Sencha," he finally said when my coughing slowed down. "I'm sorry, but I have to go; we need to get you out of here. You'll live long enough for me to return with King. And even if I have to carry you the whole way, I refuse to let you die in this god-forsaken place." "B-Ban…." I warily gazed up at him. His hand tightened its grip on mine and he stared at me with those eyes…. such adoring eyes. "Besides," his kind grin returned to his pale lips and those perfect eyes of his closed peacefully. "It's not like this is good bye. I'll still be here with you, more or less." "Ban…." "And I won't be alone either. I'll see this place every time I shut my eyes; I'll see you… you'll never truly leave me. You're here to stay now," he patted his chest where his heart was. My eyes softly shifted up from it to his face. Ban… Slowly my gaze lowered onto him. I'll see you too… in every flower, in every cloud, in everything with a hint of goodness in it. You are good… so, so good.

"I should get some shut-eye; got a long journey ahead of me." Ban didn't waste any time getting ready soon after. He laid down on the tree's patch of grass with his hands resting behind his head. He didn't sleep up on the branch anymore, I noticed. Always down on the grass, near me….. The bandit yawned and shut his eyes. "I'm just gonna doze off for a while. What are you gonna do?" "I think I'll go down to the spring," my hand brushed so stray hairs behind my ear. Ban perked up slightly at this. "I'd feel better if you stayed close to the main tree." "I won't go far; besides you've been to the spring many times. It'll be fine." "Ok…" He seemed reluctant. "But don't go any further; please." "Ban," I gave him a look. "I'm a grown woman." "I know… I know, Sencha, but…. so long as I'm here, can you please stay close?" He gazed up at the sky, deeply; endlessly. "I can't sleep unless I know your safe."


	23. Sinister Lust

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

Orange blossoms…. such a familiar scent; one that was pleasant, and nostalgic. While sitting by the spring nearby the main tree where Ban slept, I twirled a little white flower in my fingers. I never spoke about it, but I knew Ban knew…. With each passing day, I became more and more like these lovely flowers. Fading, silently; peacefully. " _Flowers are like you and me, my child. They will wilt and fade away, in time… But we must remind ourselves not to hold onto beauty or life, for they too are like flowers; transitory."_ He said that to me so long ago and yet, I remember every word; I remember everything he ever taught me. The blossom fell from my hand into the water, causing a wave of gentle ripples through this side of the pool. "Embrace the transience of living…." My lips whispered softly. I haven't done a very good job of that, have I?

"Ah, what's the point of trying?" A soft smile rolled across my face. I remember…. I remember how much I loved Socrates; there was no restraint. I just loved him simply, effortlessly….. It felt similar with Ban. It was harder to shove away my affection for him than it was to experience, to love…. Love? My eyes widened a tad. Did I love Ban? When did that happen? He's been here for almost a year; plenty of time to…. I don't when exactly my walls started to crumble. It was so silent and gradual. Each time he looked at me, spoke to me; every word, every glance chipped away at the stone shield around my heart. I tried to stop it at first but over time, I forgot it was happening. He did something to me I never thought anyone could do… And this… this I think, is what Socrates would want for me. Embrace the transience…. Love is also transient, just like everything else. I still love Socrates but now I have learned to love another; without warning, he came into my life. My grin grew softly. I'm so thankful he found me….. so very thankful.

"Sinensis." I unexpectedly heard a voice call out for me from further within the woods. It wasn't Ban's; I would have recognized his. "Sinensis…." It sounded farther this time. It wasn't Ban, but it had this familiar twinge to it. I couldn't put my finger on it but there was something…. "Sinensis." After checking up to the main tree, where Ban was still presumably asleep, I got up and slowly went to follow the voice. Something about it resonated with me; I don't know why. I didn't even know who it was. Still, for some reason, I felt compelled to follow it. I'm sure Ban wouldn't mind so long as I didn't go too far into the thicket.

I don't know how deep inside I went. The voice stopped speaking by then, so I had to move in a direction I thought it came from. After a while, a wide ravine revealed itself. It was beautiful, lush, and bright green like everywhere else in this forest. But there was no one to be seen. I didn't call out, just standing still for a second. Seeing no reason to stay, I was about to turn around and head back when all of a sudden….. "My, how you've grown."

My head instantly shot around to see nothing for a minute. But I immediately felt off. "That voice…." Yes, I've definitely heard if before; a long time ago. "Why didn't you respond to my letter?" Oh no! That was all I had time to think before the pieces got put together. Of course I felt compelled to come here, my eyes slowly widened with horror. This man, this fairy….. He is my last connection to Grandfather!

Right in front of me, a dark shadowy figure appeared rather quickly. He was lean, tall, and had this potent aura of danger. His long dark hair began to take form as the rest of him took its shape. A long black cloak hung out behind him; he was dressed like Middle Kingdom royalty. And those eyes… those piercing crimson eyes. It had been so many years and yet he didn't look a day older than the first time we met. "I'm glad you're here," his voice was so deep and alluring, but not in a good way. He was like a predator who knew he was beautiful, attractive… Using his seductive nature to his advantage. Yes, he was a predator. "I've been waiting for you- the youngest and most angelic fairy princess in this world." And I was his prey.

"R-Rido!" I sounded as frightened as I was. How… how did he find me?! Wait, that's a dumb question. Grandfather must have told him, either from bargaining or torture. But I didn't think he'd come to the Eternal Forest personally! He wasn't smiling about the situation either. His hand rose up slightly as an entrenched frown embedded itself onto his thin, pale lips. He looked like he was thinking, plotting… Those red eyes from far away; they looked at me like they wanted to eat me. "The same…." These words fell from his lips. Before I had time to move, he was immediately in front of my face; so close it was nearly touching. "You still look like a child, Sinensis."

My body took on a life of its own as my feet stumbled backwards. I was terrified; outright afraid. It didn't help matters as his thin, lanky hand reached up towards my cheek. "D-Don't… Don't touch me!" My panicked shrill echoed through the valley. "Seeing you again…." He continued to speak like he hadn't heard me. "I've made up my mind," his body crept closer and closer with both his hands raised now. "You will be my wife," a sinister, lustful grin emerged for the first time. "And let me love you."

Love! I blinked rapidly. Love….. I don't love this man! And the type of love he speaks of for me… The memory of us meeting in Grandfather's throne room back when I was six years old; the way he looked at me… This isn't real love! This is possessiveness! He doesn't want to love me; he wants to own me! Like some lovely trinket or ornament. I literally screamed as I fell back onto the ground; the tips of his fingers had just come near enough to caress my right cheek. I need to get out of here! I need help! Ban! Where's Ban?! Where is he?!

"Ban!" I heard myself start to shriek as loudly as possible. "Ban! Ban, please! Please help! I'm over here! Ban!" "I see," Rido's grin quickly faded. "So you went from one human to another; so like you." "Ban!" "He isn't coming." That caught my undivided attention as I gawked up at the prince bewildered. "I've set him under a sleeping spell; it took effect the moment I arrived," he eyed me for a second. "You must have known he was sleepy." "W-what… what have you done?!" No, this can't be happening; no! "You know the story, Sinensis. Only a kiss can break the spell." This can't be happening! This can't be real! I felt the inside of my head start to ring.

"Sinensis," Rido spoke more to himself this time than to me, which would have been futile anyways as I was currently having a meltdown. "Right, "Sinensis"; the name your grandfather gave to you," he brought his thumb up to brush against his bottom lip. "Sinensis," that sickening grin returned to his mouth as he eyed me again. "Such a bad girl; not coming back to the palace when I summoned you. Your grandfather didn't hesitate to give you to me; course that didn't save him as he intended." This man, I felt like I was going to vomit in that instant. This monster!

He felt like a real monster too. Suddenly evaporating into thin air, I watched in horror as this dark cloud gathered before me. He wasn't moving with his feet anymore; this was much harder to escape from. A hand came out from the blackness first, followed by his forehead and an eye which was locked onto me. I let out another blood-curdling scream as his arm stretched out. "Pureblood fairies can force other fairies to submit to their will; that's why you're here. Like your grandfather, I too have the power to make you come with me. With that in mind," another sick, sick smile. "I'm really wondering if you can resist me; hmmmm, Sinensis?" Stop! My eyes winced shut. No, don't say that… "Stop…" I gasped. "Stop saying my name!"

To my utter disgust and terror, this outcry only made his grin grow. "Heh," he chuckled insidiously. "When you get scared like that, your aura gets even more similar to that your old self," his eyes sharpened onto mine. "You had the same expression the day we got engaged…. and the day they arrested Socrates." That did it. I'd had enough of this goon. I had to get away; I had to get back to Ban and wake him up! I don't know why Rido would make it so the spell was undone with me uh, kissing Ban; it seemed counter-intuitive. But knowing him, there was a reason; there had to be a reason.

Without another word, I managed to scramble to my feet and make a dash for the trees. But before I could get there, Rido called out: "he'll wake only when you get there. But you'll never make it." What? I thought, pausing only for a mere second to peer back. His stare intensified onto mine. "You won't choose him." I won't choose him? What is he talking about? "You'll make your choice, and when you have," another deep, malicious, lustful smile. "I will collect you."


	24. Love

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

I was absolutely horrified to find that the Fog of Distraction had permeated the forest while we were in the ravine. It must be because Rido was here. I ran somewhat aimlessly, trying so hard to get back to the main tree; back to Ban. It made no sense what Rido was talking about. Why wouldn't I choose not to go back to him? That didn't even seem like a choice; I had to go to him. It was a need, a compulsion. I was so single-minded in my intent that I didn't think to fly above the fog; a dire mistake.

I kept going and going, running into nothing but more whiteness. I couldn't see anything; all around me was this thick fog. My panic was beginning to boil over. I had no clue where Rido or the main tree was. My mind was in such a whirl that I didn't even notice the first signs of something. Looking in front of me, I finally realized that something sat out in the distance. I was so relieved that I forgot that this was the Fog of Distraction, meant on keeping me away from my objective; from what I love…. I forgot so I raced forward without hesitation. Another mistake.

My feet began to slow when I realized that the fixture ahead of me wasn't a tree. It was man-made, which couldn't exist in the forest. This was an illusion, not that I noticed right away. I just kept walking forward, my curiosity peaked. I was curious because the fixture, the building was a house; a familiar-looking house. It was Athenian; a two-story house like the ones back in Athens, painted white with blue strips along the top. I hadn't seen one of those in almost two years; it became clearer as I got closer. There was a light glowing inside; someone was home. My lips parted a little. Someone was inside, but who? Who was it? Suddenly feeling a flame of hope lit inside me, I slowly climbed the step and holding my breath, crossed the threshold. My biggest mistake of all.

Everywhere was suddenly light, like it was the afternoon; no white was in sight. Two men immediately caught my attention. They were in robes… as was I; the same toga I wore back in Athens. I just stared at them, too stunned to even cry; cry for pure joy. One of them took notice of me as I stood there like that. "Oh, there you are, Sinensis. Come on, we're setting up for the symposium," the one named Eryximachus gazed over at me. "This isn't real…" I eventually managed to whisper to myself. "This can't be real…" "What's wrong, Sinensis?" The other named Phaedrus asked in a concerned tone. "You look alarmed." "I'm not supposed to be here…. this already happened, three years ago…."

The two Athenians looked at each other then back at me. "What are you talking about? We've been planning this night all week." "Don't you remember?" My mouth opened but it took a few seconds for words to come out. "Maybe… am I dead? Have I died and this…. this is heaven?" "Heaven?" Eryximachus laughed. "I doubt Socrates would call it that." My breath suddenly stilled. "Is he here?" My voice was the most hopeful I'd heard it since I could remember. "Soon. Crito went to pick him up at the harbour. They went to the sea today, remember? You stayed behind to help us setup for tonight." I remember…. My eyes lowered a little. Yes, I remember; I did, didn't I? Then I gazed back up at them, my old friends, with wet, embracing eyes.

"It's you… it's you guys." "Yes? It's us?" Phaedrus sounded confused. "I've missed you so much; all of you," tears started to form in the corners. "We've missed you too, Sinensis. But you weren't gone to Thebes for that long; only a couple of months." "Still, it was dismal around here without you and Socrates. No one can replace his nightly lectures," Eryximachus added. "I know," a faint, pained smile bloomed over my lips. I know… "Awe, don't look so sad, Sinensis. We're gonna have a great time tonight. You and Socrates are spending the night here, right?" My mouth opened softly, and I took in a deep, deep breath. "Yes, I want… to stay." I've wanted to…. dreamed of coming back for so long.

For some odd reason, the memory of Ban flashed through my head, making me blink. Wait… wait, what am I doing? I was… going somewhere; not here, elsewhere. Somewhere…. I was going to him…. to Ban. "Sinensis?" They looked at me worried again when my eyes drifted off into nowhere. That's right; this isn't real. This is a memory…. my memory. And admittedly, it had successfully distracted me for a moment. But I had to get out of here before…. I'm not strong, no. I'm weak… every atom of me froze at the sound of a precious, precious voice. I'm weak, and selfish.

"You have something you wish to discuss tonight, Crito?" "Always, but seeing as this is Phaedrus's feast, I think it right he elects the topic." Those voices…. those beautiful, most beloved voices. I was perfectly still for a sheer minute, embracing the feeling; that of pure desire. Him. It was "him"; my teacher was right outside. He was coming up to the house with Crito, still currently out of sight. Selfish… My eyes gently closed. Yes, I am a selfish girl. I'd give anything to hear his voice again; it was so brilliant… and perfect.

But…. My hands slowly rolled into fists. My lower lip began to quiver. I can't…. I can't stay; not like this. I'm not strong enough. Without another word, I used all my strength and willpower to turn towards the front door. I'm too selfish…. "Sinensis? Hey Sinensis! Where are you going?" Phaedrus called out to me. "I have to go," I didn't even look him in the eye as I replied; they were red and dripping tears now. "What do you mean? They're almost here; Socrates and Crito are on their way." "I know…" I whispered in the upmost agony. "That's why I've got to leave." "Huh?" "Because if I stay and see him…. I'll never leave," more tears fell. "I have to go…. I can't see him; I can't….." "Sinensis?" "I love you Phaedrus, Eryximachus. I'll never forget you," my voice was trembling uncontrollably. "I have to go." And, my vision blurred from weeping, I dashed out of the house without a second look. When I checked back over my shoulder, everything was gone, and I was back in the forest. The mist had disappeared. My mouth opened as I remembered to breathe, the tears streaming unrelentingly down my cheeks now. Rido was wrong; I made my choice, and it was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do.


	25. Death

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

I flew up to the top of the main tree. To my surprise, Ban was still there; sleeping as peacefully as when I left him. A sigh of relief left my lips. Well, at least he looked alright. But my calm was short-lived. Literally within seconds of my arrival, that same dark cloud appeared nearby us on the other side of the tree's grass. I immediately ran to station myself in between the unconscious Ban and Rido, trying to steady myself as much as possible. He chuckled his sinister chuckle as his head morphed out of the black vapors. "I was right," he said, grinning. "You made the wrong choice."

"Get out!" I had no clue where this sudden confidence was coming from. Maybe it was a protective instinct over Ban; I was terrified when it came to me, but he wasn't getting anywhere near Ban. Not while I'm alive. Rido just stared at me for a moment; a long moment. Then, in the blink of an eye, his vapor was unexpectedly behind me. It morphed quicker this time, as the upper half of his body formed. He was in the position to wrap his arms around me. "Sinensis…" His voice was… oh god, it was lustful; craving. "Get away….!" I didn't have time to finish my sentence as his head moved in closer beside mine. "Why am I not good enough, Sinensis? You'd choose a dead human over a fairy? Why?" What?! What does he mean "dead" human? Surely not Socrates… "What is it that I'm missing? Tell me, Sinensis; what should I do for you to…."

What is this feeling? My eyes shot wide open with dread. Something's wrong; something's horribly wrong! This monster beside me…. I could feel it in my bones, deep from within me. No! I don't want this! I don't want to know the depths of this lust that…. "Even though…" I gasped a little as Rido continued. "Even though I've loved you… after all these years of waiting, wanting…. I love you so much that I could eat you, just to keep you close." I have to do something… Something's really, really wrong! "Sinensis," he whispered straight into my ear. "He's not asleep."

The next thirty seconds are a blur to me. My mind went numb, letting my body take over. I spun around, kneeled down like a shot, and grabbed the closest thing I could find; Ban's nunchaku. Without knowing how to use it, I raised it up into the air. It was then that my mind was flooded with a sea of memories. Ban… Ban holding me tightly in the cave. Ban…. Us picking berries and star-gazing. My Ban… His arriving at the main tree; our first conversation. The second man I'd ever loved…. His watching me on my balcony back in the city. I love him. The last memory was of us dancing; dancing that night in the moonlight.

I honestly don't remember how it happened; all I knew was that Ban's weapon was in my hand and Rido was behind me. "Sinensis," the prince said, wrapping both arms around me. I felt his body give a surprising shutter. My arm was high above me holding onto the nunchaku's handle. "Even though this is the end, I will love you; I will cling to your cold, dead body forever." The image of Ban and I looking at each other as we danced in the sky. His hand tightened its grip on mine. My eyes widened. I remembered Ban's head moving closer to me. This feeling…. I remembered our lips meeting for the first time. This was while I realized that the nunchaku had pierced through both Rido and me. I had unintentionally stabbed myself, and while this would not kill a fairy like Rido… My mouth opened in shock; the physical pain was starting to hit me. And Rido gave me one last squeeze before pulling back, letting my bloody body fall down to the grass.


	26. Heaven

Sinensis's P.O.V.-

Laying there, I knew what was happening…. I could feel it; I could feel the life quickly leaving me. I had no idea where Rido was right now and at this point, I didn't really care. I couldn't kill him; of course I couldn't kill him. I acted out of anger, for the first time…. my body acted on pure, unadulterated rage. And now… I'm going to die; after all this…. The hemlock isn't going to kill me. But I still managed to kill myself, accidently this time. I couldn't save Ban… I know why Rido killed him; he didn't want me to be attached to another human. He must have killed Ban in his sleep, after that sleeping spell he put on him. Oh Ban…. I winced my eyes shut. I'm so sorry! This is all my fault; if it wasn't for me and this stupid potion…

Wait! My eyes shot open. The Fountain of Youth! It's still here. With the upmost pain, I lifted my head up off the ground to see it intact. Yes! Yes, it's still here; I can still use it! With what little magic I had left, I summoned the elixir over to me. Taking the goblet in my hand, I moved in such a way to look at Ban. My gaze fixed onto him. Despite it all, he still looked like he was sleeping soundly. Good, my eyes lowered softly. This is how I want to remember him; peaceful, serene. Quickly running out of time, I used what strength I had left to crawl over to the bandit.

"Ban," my hand tenderly pressed against his cheek; it felt cooler than usual. My lips parted a tad as they trembled. My body was shutting down faster than expected. "I love you," I managed to say. "I love you…." This was the last thing I ever said. With a faint smile, I poured the elixir into my mouth. Then I immediately transferred it into his mouth. It took a second but, with my hand on his chest, I could it start to move again. But I didn't see him open his eyes. Everything started to get really fuzzy and I lost control of my thoughts. I gazed at Ban one last time then shut my eyes. I felt my body fall downwards again landing on something. The world around me became deaf-less and all bodily sensations disappeared; I couldn't hear, see, or feel anything. It felt like going to sleep; I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but it did.

And it felt… softer, gentler than I thought it would. I seemed to be floating and falling at the same time. My body was an endless mass and a million divided pieces all at once. I suddenly saw and heard everything and nothing. I was in enormous pain and pleasure; I felt lighter and heavier than I ever had before. It honestly felt like I went on a journey; an endless journey. And yet, it was over in the blink of an eye. I felt alive and dead, present and absence- just a mix of continuous contradictions.

Then, just like that, it was over. The next thing I knew, I was laying on something soft and warm. I was outside for I felt the nicest, most refreshing breeze blow over me, gently swaying a few strands of hair on my face. The weather was extraordinarily pleasant, like a perfect summer's day. And the air smelt so good! Like orange blossoms…

My eyes opened and I found myself staring up at what looked to be an endless, cloudless, bright blue sky; it was the bluest thing I'd ever seen. Before I knew I had, I sat up, feeling the super soft grass underneath my palms. The grass was also greener, lusher than I'd ever seen. But the biggest surprise was the complete lack of pain in my body. I felt… I felt better than I had in years! It felt like before I drank the hemlock; I was full of energy and without agony.

Feeling good, I took the opportunity to glance around my new surroundings. I'd never been here before, but then, I guess I wouldn't have. This place was like an endless green valley, full of flowers, birds, bees, and butterflies. Beautiful… The most beautiful, serene place I'd ever seen. And I was quick to learn that I wasn't alone here. While I was gazing around, I heard something- or someone- come up behind me. My head shot around, and my eyes widened. There, staring back at me, was Socrates! My Socrates! My most beloved teacher!

I was so stunned that I couldn't react right away; just stare at him with the biggest eyes. He, being his usual self, smiled down at me; that classic smiled I had missed so much. "It's been a while, Sinensis." "S-Socrates!" I finally gasped elated and still bewildered. "Yes. I've been waiting here for you, my child." "W-waiting…." Joyous tears came to my eyes. "Waiting for me; you waited for me….." "Of course I did," his smile grew. "And we'll be together from now on, forever." "Forever?" My heart would have leaped, if it was still beating. Still smiling, his large hand extended down for mine. "Come, the others are waiting." "Oh Socrates…" My cheeks were tear-stained by now. Then, without forethought, I jumped up to wrap my arms around him. I didn't stop myself from crying into his toga. "Socrates! Socrates!" "I know," he gently stroked my hair as I cried. "I missed you too."


	27. Epilogue

No One's P.O.V.-

Sinensis stood on an emerald from where she could watch the two men; her brother and the one she loved. Behind her stood Socrates. He looked from Ban to his eternal student, waiting for her to speak first. This was the first time she had seen Ban since she died so long ago. Her rose red lips parted slightly, though no air drew in. "He still looks the same… after all this time." "The potion keeps him the same," Socrates noted. Her eyes lowered onto the bandit. "I had forgotten how beautiful he is…" She whispered to herself.

"It's so strange," a contorted grin crossed her lips. "I've been dead longer than I was alive now. And yet…. time doesn't exist anymore for us, does it? Heh, I suppose it doesn't exist for him either. We're both on this endless journey, forever apart…." Socrates watched as Sinensis's hand rose up to her quivering mouth. He waited for a minute before addressing his precious pupil. "That reminds me… I recall the things that you used to tell me about him." "Huh?" Sinensis blinked at him curiously. "You said he was similar to you." "I did, didn't I? But I don't remember in what way exactly." "Your pain, and how it would make you feel relaxed; understood." "Ah, yes. I was in a lot of pain near the end of my life, wasn't I?" A small grin crept across her face. "I can't believe I forgot about that….."

"But I think you were wrong, my child. You are different from him." This caused Sinensis to blink at her teacher puzzled. She flinched lightly as his big reached over to take hold of hers. "Unlike you, he has something that he regrets," Socrates's eyes lowered intently. "On that day he woke as an immortal and found your body next to his…. He wished for nothing more than to hold onto you, and he regretted ever letting you go." Sinensis eyes grew in astonishment. "Now, what about you, Sinensis? Will you have the same regret after today? I wonder… what if, on this day, you go to grab onto him tightly and tell him "don't go". How would things turn out?" He turned to look her straight in the eye. "Will you regret not treasuring this moment?"

The dead princess's mouth opened but no words came out; she didn't know what to say to that. This made Socrates flash his knowing, brilliant smile. "Don't regret turning your back on the things that you want to grasp onto with all your might, my child." "N-no," coming to, she gave her hand a half-hearted shake. "I can't leave you…. I can't." "Sinensis," he gave her hand a squeeze. "We have an eternity together. You didn't drink the potion yourself, choosing both me and Ban in the process. And I would never ask you to choose. But you must know, my child, that this time between now and when we have to return belongs to you. Its ok for you to treasure it," his eyes shown so sincerely and lovingly at the girl. "You love him. That's enough, isn't it?" Sinensis just stared dumbfounded as he continued, still holding onto her hand. "That man, your brother, me…. we're all people that you love. Do not come back having regrets, my child."

Meanwhile Ban and King were in the middle of arguing and fighting. Or at least they were until King spotted something. He paused to stare off into the distance, bringing his hand over his eyes for a better a look. They grew with sheer alarm. "S-Socrates!" He spotted the old man first. Ban looked too, first at the man watching them, and then….. Both he and King's jaws dropped at the sight of the woman with him. Socrates let go of her hand, allowing Sinensis to float down to them. Neither of the living two reacted, too shocked to even think. But King eventually managed to say something.

"Sister!" The fairy sounded totally ajared. Sinensis gave him a tender smile. "Hello brother." Then her eyes moved to the shocked Ban. King watched as they merely stared at each other, speechless. But a conversation was happening; like many times before, they were talking with their eyes. It was Sinensis who smiled first; a true smile. Ban slowly mirrored hers, showing an expression none of the sins had ever seen before. He looked happy, just like her. And silently the two lovers stared, soaking up the other's presence, essence. Ban's eyes revealed- or rather shouted- that he found what he had been searching for all this time.

 _I never stopped searching for your smile._

The End.


	28. Thanks for Reading!

Thanks for reading! This was a lot of fun to write. If you want more BanxOC stories, please let me know! Thanks again.


End file.
